In the Eye of the Storm
by Noacat
Summary: AU AeriSeph In the darkening twilight, shadows of the past rise. Can two disparate souls defy fate? WARNING: Strong Language, Violence.
1. Beast of Burden

_I'll never be your beast of burden_

_Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be. _

             ---Mick Jagger/Keith Richards

City of Dreams, the City that Never Sleeps, City of Lights--All names for one place, a city that represents hope to so many but in it all they find is despair. Midgar, it's lights an ever-burning fire that shines to the heavens how man has triumphed over god. And people, moth like, are drawn to its bright lights, only to be eaten alive by a city with no soul. Most of its nicknames were ironic, created by people who knew the true nature of the place they lived in. 

In the dead of night, Midgar was quite quiet or at least it had been for the past few months. In lieu of all the terrorist activities that plagued the city, a nightly curfew was set. All inhabitants were to be in their homes by 9 p.m., lest they risk being arrested. This citywide curfew was devised by the proud and wise city fathers, who only wanted to keep the city operational enough to service their needs. Still, the rippling waves of violence never seemed to stop, only getting worse as more people beneath the plate suffered. 

Something those who lived in pleasant comfort on the very top of the plate could never understand. Underneath Midgar's gleaming exterior was a hidden city, something the tourists never got a glimpse of. Beneath Midgar lay its slums, overfilled with the city's unwanted. The homeless and the poor. The drug addicts and criminals. All of them shoved under the carpet to be forgotten or die in abject squalor. People were not meant to live like those in the slums of Midgar. It was too crowded, too removed from the things that people need. But you couldn't tell that from the outside, no. On the outside, it looked like a perfect shining beacon. 

The blinding glass town of the ShinRa building looming over all of this with unparalleled grace. A temple dedicated to the city's founding father, President Shinra himself. It was a proud sentinel in the midst of a moral graveyard. Normally the picture of tranquility, its employees filtering in and out of it in quiet splendor. Never questioning what it was they did in that building. Whether or not who and what they worked for were right. Their goals were simple. Go to work, do their job and go home to their nicely furnished apartments on the upper plate. Never mind the fact that they created horrors on a daily basis. Never mind the overwhelming poverty that they crushed beneath them. This was progress and it couldn't be denied. 

Within the once placid building there was a flurry of activity this night. Sirens wailed on the 67th floor and the sharp rapport of gunfire could be heard echoing through the normally stoic corridors of ShinRa's Research and Development facility. The ShinRa Regulars had been called into patrol the corridors. Running from floor to floor, hall to hall, all in search of one thing. Had any of them known what they were hunting for, perhaps none of the newly minted SOLDIERs would be so eager. All they had been told was that one of the specimens had escaped and they were under orders to capture it alive. What they were not told was that the specimen they hunted was exceptionally dangerous killing machine. They had designed him as such. But this of course, was information no regular grunt needed to know. Nor did they need to know they hunted a man who had just been hailed as Midgar's hero, because in the eyes of ShinRa Inc. Sephiroth was an experiment, a specimen and not a human being. They gave it a name but refused to even regard its humanity. 

He was the first in a line, a grand experiment on ShinRa's part to create the perfect soldier. They'd already had some success with the SOLDIER program, an effort to enhance regular soldiers to make them more effective in battle. The process was simple, exceptionally strong subjects were chosen from the regular guard and given Mako injections. Mako, the lifeblood of the planet, enhanced the soldier's speed, strength and ability to cast and defend against magic. An achievement any military power would have been pleased about, but ShinRa was not satisfied. The SOLDIER program was a great success, yet those volunteers were still human, still fragile and easily killed. And for every SOLDIER killed, ShinRa lost millions of dollars to train and enhance a replacement. Then there was also a problem with some SOLDIERS having sudden attacks of conscience. Meaning more money had to be wasted in eradicating those subjects who turned traitor. Something had to be done. 

So the began the great quest to create ShinRa's perfect soldier, coded named Sephiroth by Professor Hojo. With this project, Hojo hoped to genetically engineer a warrior. In the beginning, it seemed like everything was moving along smoothly. His mother was thought to have been a human/cetra hybrid, and this boded well in the research team's eyes. She would provide a strong lineage for the child, as cetra were known to be adept in the use of magic. To enhance this further, the specimen had endured daily mako baths and injections during fetal development. It meant inevitable death for the mother, but that hardly mattered to anyone involved. Nine months later, the first specimen was born. 01 and given the name Sephiroth by Professor Hojo. 

As the child grew, it was clear he was exactly what ShinRa was hoping he'd be. From the day he was born, Sephiroth was superior in strength, speed and intelligence. By the time he was six months old he was up and running, literally. It was joked that he never really learned to walk, but run. By nine months he was speaking in full, coherent sentences. By two he was able to read, and able to understand complex theorems and equations that it'd take most adults years to fully comprehend. By age five, they'd begun his military training. 

He was an adept fighter, able to best those twice his height and ten times his weight. His speed was such that it was hard for most human eyes to keep up with it. At age eight his training with magic began, astonishing his creators by mastering Ultima--materia that took the boldest SOLDIER recruit a year to master. For Sephiroth it took less than a day. At age twelve, he was a master swordsman and finally enrolled as a regular ShinRa soldier. At 16, Sephiroth had been promoted to general. He was a credit to those who'd created him and though there was pride, they also feared him. Comparing their yearly figures, his power had grown beyond what they thought was possible. Nothing on the earth could compare to him. He was a killing machine, full of raw power. There were some executives within ShinRa who feared he was too powerful and much to the dismay of all those at ShinRa, he was uncontrollable. 

Hojo's team had made a possibly fatal mistake. They allowed the specimen to retain his free will. It was thought that he could learn more naturally this way. Their thinking had been to raise the child with military discipline; he would simply learn to obey without question. And if the specimen dared to question, he would learn that questioning one's role in the world was met with swift and brutal repercussions. They had not counted on his frightening intellect. He was too smart. And the scientists debated whether it was due to their genetic manipulation or his natural heritage. It was a surprising quirk of the specimen's birth. His eyes saw too clearly, made connections that he was not expected to make and he began to question things he shouldn't have. 

Professor Hojo had devised a way to fix this...flaw. It was surmised injecting him with an unknown alien specimen, coded Jenova. Tests had already begun, and it was found the alien's cells when injected into a human host acted to suppress the will of the subject. Allowing them to be extremely susceptible to suggestion. It was hoped by all involved that if Subject 01 were injected with Jenova he'd become more compliant to orders. 

Once again, the scientists underestimated their subject's intelligence. He understood very well what they were trying to do. His hearing was more acute than most humans and the research assistants paid very little attention to whether or not he was listening. Most of the time he was ignored. Treated as if he wasn't even in the room with them. They'd chitter back and forth while he was locked in his cell or an experiment room. Reading off facts and figures with no thought that the specimen might just understand what they were babbling about. Sephiroth never, ever, let on that he did. He let them think what they wanted to. Indeed, what did they have to hide from him? Sure, he was intelligent but he couldn't possibly understand all that they were talking about. 

And from his cell, Sephiroth strained his incredible hearing to listen. He comprehended what they wanted to do to him and he did not like it one bit. Hojo and the ShinRa thought him a fool and a less than human one than that. He was tired of the endless, painful tests. His arm ached from all the injections they gave him daily. He was tired of being peered at, measured, and analyzed. Most of all, he was tired of being a nothing but a subject. A thing, with no rights of its own. He wasn't fully human, but he was a sentient being and in his eyes that deserved a measure of respect. It also, in his mind, meant that he was entitled to the same basic rights as all thinking beings were afforded. Freedom. 

At first, he had thought that if he played their game, they would eventually see him as a person. That with his accomplishments he could buy his freedom. So, he had done everything asked of him and more. He had won them Wutai, with minimal loss of life on both sides, at the age of seventeen. In public, ShinRa hailed him as a hero, but every night he still went back to his laboratory cell. And in the morning he was poked and prodded with little regard for his feelings.  It was then that he realized he'd never be free. Never. They'd keep him in this box as long as they thought he was useful and when they were done, they'd toss him away like a used tissue. 

Freedom was apparently something he'd have to actively fight for. And as he paced his cell liked a caged tiger, he thought about his options. He could stay here and let them continue to do whatever they pleased with him. Continue to be a pawn in their pathetic little game....or.....he could attempt an escape and make a bid for freedom. That would take a great deal of effort on his part. ShinRa was unlikely to let something so valuable slip through their fingers without a fight. They'd rather see him dead than free. _And I'd rather see them all dead_, he thought grimly. They feared him that much. Feared his power. That's why they had gone out of their way to make him feel less than human. He'd make them all pay for their arrogance. Make them pay dearly. 

His jade eyes narrowed imperceptibly as he continued to pace, watching the assistant researchers as they began their day. They flicked on the lab's lights and Sephiroth squinted a little at the sudden illumination. The researchers talked amongst themselves, giving him a cursory greeting and continuing on with their own conversation. Sephiroth nodded at them coolly, trying not to feel the bitter sting of resentment that ate at his soul. He couldn't wait to twist their heads off with his bare hands. The intercom rattled to life, the voice on the other end speaking in crackled tones to him. 

"Morning, Subject 01. Ready for today's tests?" the little researcher asked him. 

The boy's name was Marvin, Sephiroth had taken the time to remember it and it nettled him that none of the researchers bothered to remember his. Sephiroth snorted lightly to himself, because he knew using his name would require that they become attached in someway to him. And they were all required to maintain their clinical detachment when working with humanoid subjects. 

"Subject 01? I ask again, are you ready?" the boy asked again, pushing up his thick glasses over his nose. His greasy little face peering at Sephiroth through the triple paned observation window that separated subject from scientist. 

Sephiroth turned, looking directly into the assistant's beady eyes and nodded, his expressionless face the picture of calm reserve. Slowly, he raised his arms and placed his hands on his head, fingers intertwined. In the past few weeks, it seemed ShinRa Inc trusted him less and less. Researchers were no longer allowed to be alone in the room with him. They sent in an armed guard to pull him forcibly from his cell at gunpoint. Shackling him to make sure he wouldn't try anything. It was insulting. The door to his cell opened with a soft fwish and the guard stepped in, gun trained on the subject within. Cautiously sidling up to Sephiroth, the guard made his way behind the general. Holstering his gun, the guard pulled out his handcuffs, just as he had every morning for the last month. 

"You know the drill." The guard said, through his facemask, which muffled everything he said. 

Sephiroth smiled secretly to himself, he unclasped his hands as if to let the guard cuff him. The minute he felt the guard's hand on his own writs, Sephiroth acted. With unnatural speed he shot out and grabbed the guard by the wrist, his other hand pulling out the pistol. Pushing the guard backwards with a palm heel shove, he leveled the weapon and shot the guard point blank in the skull. Sephiroth looked impassively at the mass of blood and brains that was splattered all over his cell. Dropping the gun, he calmly strode out of his open cell. Regarding Marvin for a moment before summoning his masamune. The weapon appeared in his hand instantly, a little talent he'd purposely failed to tell his captors. Before the boy had time to think, his body had been separated into neat halves by one arcing stroke. 

"Hey Marvin we're all out of  analg--" the other research assistant appeared out of nowhere, her face blanching at the bloody scene laid before her. Looking from Marvin's body to his murderer, the girl seemed beyond comprehension. Wetting herself in fear. "P-p-p-puh-leese...duh-ohn't...." 

Sephiroth gazed back her, face splattered with blood, curling his lip in disgust. She was begging him for mercy, something she and the rest of them had so little of themselves. Still, he wanted someone left to alert as many people as possible. He was out for blood this night and before he left he wanted to take as much as he could. Leaving the researcher in a pool of her own filth, Sephiroth left. His bare feet padded wetly across the smooth floor of the lab. Behind him trailed his own bloody footprints. Sirens wailed as he strode out of the laboratory, his gait slow and deliberate. 

The first wave of regular soldiers made it to the 67th floor, unable to believe who strode towards the, bloody sword in hand. It was the legendary general, Sephiroth. This pause was long enough to seal their death warrants. The general swept through them like so much refuse. Eviscerating the nearest soldier with his massive blade. Spinning around, he struck the man next to him, cleaving him in half. He pushed through, burying his sword to the hilt in anything that got in his way. Very soon, everything became a bloodied blur. Body covered head to toe in gore. His normally snow-white hair stained pink. Awareness took a backseat to the love of the kill. By the time he reached the top floor, there was a sickening amount of carnage, which he left wake-like behind him. 

At the top floor was the President's office, and it was there that Sephiroth was headed. The full force of his fury was realized, his jade eyes glowed an eerie angry green. The walls buckling as he let loose his rage with a physical demonstration of his power. Blowing the President's door off its hinges because he willed it to be so. The piggy little man stared back at him with surprise. Sephiroth didn't want him to get a chance to beg. He wanted the man gaping at him over that desk to stop breathing, immediately. 

Switching his grip on his sword, Sephiroth held it like one would hold a spear and with fluid grace he threw it at Shinra. The seven-foot blade impaling the man in his chair. Evenly, the silver haired warrior retrieved his blade, intending to find his next quarry. Hojo. Before he could do so he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, reaching his hand back to find the source of his discomfort. He pulled a dart from his flesh, turning back to look at the one who'd fired it. A man no older than himself stood, his gun raised and still smoking. His dark hair slicked back, bottomless black eyes looking at him with placid fear. 

"Tseng." Sephiroth snarled the name and turned towards this new assailant. He lurched forward, feeling suddenly woozy and unsteady. 

"Poison. Fast acting. I suggest you give up quietly general..." Tseng replied calmly. 

"Fuck you." 

The words came out thickly; it was only a matter of time before he succumbed. Sephiroth knew he could hold out for at least a few hours. He now had to choose, revenge or freedom.With what speed he had left, Sephiroth made his choice, running at the large window behind Shinra's desk. Holding up his arms over his face, Sephiroth crashed through it. Wincing as shards of glass tore small ragged gashes in his skin. He sailed through the open air, seemingly unafraid that the ground was hundreds of feet below him. Tseng rushed out onto the balcony, changing rounds in his gun as he went. Following the General's flight, firing after him. Four shots connected, and he saw Sephiroth's fading form spasm as they hit. Tseng didn't wait to watch him land, he ran back into the office and for the elevator. 

Sephiroth landed clumsily on a pile of shattered glass, choking back a scream as his bare feet were torn to shreds. Clutching at his side, he began to run as fast as he could. He ignored the pain in his side and the bloody mess that were his feet. Masamune in hand, he ran blindly until he reached the outer wall of Midgar. Bursting through it, to freedom. 

_I won't be your puppet. Not anymore_. 

************************Author's Note!!**************************

Okay. This is definitely been planned as an Aeris/Seph. However, I only have the first two chapters planned out. Unlike Angel Wings, which is completely planned and Tranquility, which has kind of a vague plan. This one, I got nothing George. I have NO idea where I'm going with this. I think that's a good thing. Oh, and this is an AU, just incase I was somehow stupid and forgot to mention that. I've always said that in game, Aeris/Seph very rarely works. IMHO, any romance between them has to end tragically if you're gonna stick to the game's events. The only way you get a happy ending if you create an AU...which I did because I'm a sick, sick woman. Oh, and don't worry, we'll get a visit from our flower girl in the next chapter. 

Take on me! 

Noacat ^_~


	2. Salt of the Earth

_Let's drink to the hard working people   
Let's drink to the lowly of birth  
Raise your glass to the good and the evil   
Let's drink to the salt of the earth_

                                  ---Mick Jagger/Keith Richards

Aeris Gainsborough shielded her eyes against the sun, delighted to take her first real look at the world without the looming towers of Midgar overshadowing it. All her life she'd been a prisoner of the slums. Dwelling in the inner darkness, that's what she'd always called it. Real sunlight was a rarity in the vaulted dungeon of the lower plate and though the upper plate was exposed to the sky, there was something about the nature of the city that diminished its beauty. Looking around the great plain that surrounded the city, Aeris gasped as if it were her first breath. She'd never seen anything so beautiful, except in her dreams. Behind her she could vaguely hear the clamor of the city, but it was drowned out by the distant rush of the wind, rustling a thousand leaves at once. Aeris took one look back at the wall that surrounded the city, and grinned brightly. The city and all the sorrow it held could finally be left behind. 

She stretched a little, settling down on a small bench as she waited for the chocobo caravan to come. Setting down her basket and pack, Aeris leaned back and with half closed lids continued to drink in all that nature had to offer. She was a great lover of all things growing and green, what some would call a nature nut. As the last surviving cetra it was in her blood, ingrained instinct that drew her to the growing areas of the earth. The cetra were an ancient race, the first people to inhabit the earth. All cetra were connected to the planet, able to speak with it and determine its needs. At one time they numbered as many as the humans that now covered the earth. They protected the planet, helped it grow. A thousand years ago, a great tragedy befell them. The crisis from the sky. It had killed most of the cetra, leaving only a few left to listen to the cries of the planet. Now, there was only Aeris. 

The planet had often asked her why she'd stayed in Midgar. All cetra had a love of wide-open spaces, in full view of the planet's gifts. Midgar was an anathema to her. A horrible stinking crater of a city, and Aeris hated it. Yet she lingered and her answer had always been that she had to stay for her mother. Not her real mother of course, but her adoptive mother, Elmyra Gainsborough. Her real mother, Ifalna, had died when she was very little. Aeris would have become another lost and homeless child on the street had it not been for Elmyra. The woman took her in and raised her as her own. And to Aeris she was a mother, in more than one way. In recent years, Elmyra had become increasingly frail. Her spirit and her body had been broken by the city and her husband's untimely death. Having Aeris around had helped Elmyra greatly. In Aeris, she had someone to love and to love in return. It gave her focus, and thereby lengthened a life that otherwise might have been snuffed out. 

However much love Elmyra had gained could not stop time, or the disease that ate away her health. Amongst many other problems, the slums were plagued by chemical spills due to the waste dumped from the upper plate. Aeris was immune, because of her heritage. Elmyra was not so lucky and after years of living in Midgar she caught what was commonly called Reactor Sickness. Once she became too weak to work, Aeris took over as head of the household. For the last four years, she'd sold flowers on the streets to make just enough for them to live on. 

It became obvious to Aeris that her mother had little time left. The sickness that took root in her body had begun to take its toll. The remaining time she had passed quickly and Aeris tried to make her as comfortable as possible. Aeris used old cetra home remedies to ease her pain. Poultices for open sores, tea baths for relaxation, tinctures for the coughing. It worked; Elmyra spent her last days for the most part, free of pain and on one sun dappled evening she passed away. Aeris remembered coming in after weeding her garden, to find her mother slumped in her old chair in the living room. Her eyes closed, cup in one hand. Aeris saw herself walking towards that chair, calling her mother softly. In her heart knowing that she was gone, but her head too stubborn to believe it. The tears that raged when she touched Elmyra's hand to find it cold, all flooded back to her. Her foster mother had died in peaceful sleep, looking out of the picture window in their home. She could still hear the twitter of the birds fluttering in front of their large picture window and when Aeris looked up, she watched them fly up and out of a hole in the upper plate. Aeris wondered if they'd come to usher her mother's soul to heaven. 

The memory brought back bitter regrets and barely held back tears. For a long time, Aeris had wanted to leave Midgar but Elmyra never did. Now there was nothing to hold her here. She tearfully made the decision to move on, despite all the good memories her old home held. Arranging for her mother to be buried in the garden near her house with a simple plaque marking the spot. She didn't have money for anything more expensive. Locking the door, Aeris set out for Wall Market to purchase her ticket out of Midgar. Besides her own personal reasons to leave, she had many others. The city was no longer safe. Riots, muggings, murders, and all manner of violence had increased. Midgar was no longer a place where a young woman could live on her own safely. 

So now she was here, waiting for transportation to a grand adventure. In the last few years, the planet had communicated much to her. For the most part Aeris had ignored it. Her love for Elmyra kept her bound to Midgar, though she thought often about her debt to the planet. It was dying, she could feel it and as its last protector she knew that it was her duty to heal it. Without anything to hold her in place any longer, Aeris could finally complete her life's quest. So she set out that summer morning to visit the city of her ancestors. There she would commune with the planet and pray for its healing. But first, she wanted to see the world before she performed her final duty. 

Aeris felt a heavy slump next to her and looked up. A large, well-muscled man sat next to her, giving her a cursory glance and a smile. Next to him sat a little girl of about five, who shyly looked over at Aeris before hiding her head in the man's shoulder. They were obviously waiting for the same caravan as she, and Aeris decided it was best to get to know her companions. As they weren't forthcoming with introductions, Aeris made the first move as she'd often done. Midgar taught you to be suspicious of strangers, a trait which Aeris loathed and actively worked against. 

"Morning." She said boldly, a warm smile on her face, "You're daughter is very cute." 

An unreadable expression passed on the man's dark face, "Um...thank you."

"My name's Aeris. I guess we'll be traveling together." She answered gamely, with another smile. 

"Yes. I'm Barrett by the way...this is Marlene." He said, smiling back at her genuinely, succumbing to her brand of infectious cheer. 

"Nice to meet you." 

After a bit more uncomfortable chatter, they settled into a rather comfortable dialogue. Aeris had a way about her that opened people up; she made them feel at ease with the world. Barrett was no exception. Aeris learned that he was leaving Midgar for the sake of his young daughter. He worried that if she grew up in such an unhealthy environment that she'd become yet another victim of the slums. Ending up in a gang, addicted to drugs, or dead. He wanted to give her a chance for a real life. So he saved up all that he could, and bought a ticket out of town. He was headed for Kalm, a little town about three hours away from Midgar by car. By chocobo caravan the trip was considerably longer. 

"Why Kalm?" 

Barrett looked from Aeris to his daughter, eyebrows knit in protective worry, "Cuz. There's a school there. She can get a real education. Make somethin' of herself. Midgar ain't no place for kids, know what I'm sayin'? What about you? Whatcha runnin' from?"

Aeris paused before she answered, "Not running. Just wanted to see the world and I can't do it if I stay here." 

For a moment, Barrett's face went blank and then slowly, a large smile creased his face. He laughed; it was a deep and warmly heartfelt sound that echoed over the empty plains. Aeris joined it, adding her more girlish giggle to the echo, followed by Marlene. 

He glanced down, his smile fading somewhat as his brow furrowed in mild confusion, "I don't wanna insult ya, or nuthin'. But I been wonderin'. You from around here? Cus you don't look like no Midgar girl." 

Aeris sighed, it was the truth and for once the truth didn't hurt. Most girls from the slums were unhappy wraiths. Most likely to become prostitutes or worse, they ended up dead or with men they hated who abused them. They wore too much makeup and perfume, and too few clothes. Aeris was quite wholesome by comparison. From her simple pink dress, to her braided ponytail. She looked more likely to grace the streets of some tiny village in the boonies. 

"No insult taken. I get that question all the time. But I am from Midgar. Born and Raised." 

"Well I'll be damned." He chuckled; his daughter gave him a nudge and a frown. He quietly apologized to her before continuing, "Gotta 'pologize. I swear too much. Wouldn't notice it but Marlene don't like it when I do. So, where you headed?"

Aeris thought for a moment. She hadn't really considered where she might be going. Her only thought was to leave as soon as possible. Before she could answer, a tiny voice interrupted. "I think yous pwetty." 

Aeris giggled at the little girl who peeked out at her behind Barrett's massive shoulder, "Thank you. I think you're pretty too. Would you like a flower?"

The little girl nodded slowly. Aeris bent down to dig through her basket, fishing out a leftover flower she'd kept from her garden. She'd kept a dozen or so, which she'd planned to dry and preserve for memory's sake. Picking out a white daisy, she held it out for Marlene. The little girl promptly jumped down from her spot and padded over to Aeris, deftly taking the proffered flower from her fingers. Marlene examined it, twirling it around in her hand before looking up at Aeris with a gap-toothed smile. Aeris smiled back, cocking her head to one side as they examined the flower together. 

"Marlene, mind your manners. What do we say?"

"Fank you." 

"You're very welcome." 

Just at that moment, the caravan arrived, jangling towards them with incredible speed. The driver dismounted and greeted them warmly. Accepting their tickets, he ushered them into the back of the wagon. Marlene went first, and then Barrett helped Aeris aboard before getting on himself. It was a very simple affair. Inside the wagon, were benches on either side. To keep the rain out, a bonnet made of double spun cotton had been stretched over u-shaped bows. It was attached in such a way as to let the travelers open adjustable straps, so that air could be vented in if needed. At the front was a small box, where they stowed their belongings during the trip. It was also where the water was kept, if they needed it. In front of that, was the driver's seat, which was nothing more than a wooden plank with a blanket over it. Before they left the driver gave them a short speech. 

"Right. This'll be a three-day trip. In the box at the back, you'll find yer water. You'll also find some campin' supplies. We'll be making two stops total. Going to be travelin' today for about, less say, eight, maybe ten hours. Stop when it gets dark. At that time, all hands will be needed to make camp. Everyone ready?" He didn't wait for an answer, "Right. Onwards and upwards." 

With that, he closed the backdoor and locked it, going around the wagon to take his place at the driver's seat. Jumping up, he readied himself, grabbing the reigns and flicking them. The two chocobos tethered to the wagon made little yelps in protest before moving. The buggy lurched to a start, the driver made a clicking noise and they were off. The ride itself was quite bumpy but everyone made the best of it. Aeris and Barrett talked when they could. It was hard to hear sometimes with all the rattling inside the wagon. As the ride went on, Marlene became bolder and by the time the sunset, she and Aeris were talking as if they'd known each other forever. This brought a smile to Barrett's face, already less than a day out and the city's effects were wearing off. Though perhaps it was Aeris's presence. Yes, he decided that was it. She had to be some kind of angel, because Marlene had never taken to a stranger like she did to her. 

The wagon came to a halt by a small stream that was near a copse of trees. The driver indicated they were to stay here tonight and directed them on what they should bring out. The driver went off with Barrett in tow to get some wood. Meanwhile, Aeris and Marlene had the fun chore of setting up the tents. It was an activity that Aeris never learned, but she was game. How hard could it be? Apparently, pretty damn hard. She struggled for a good twenty minutes, with no luck. It was Marlene who proved the biggest help in this task. She slowly read the instructions, while Aeris wrestled with the detachable stakes. They made a great joke of it, and after reading the instructions; the two of them put together all three tents in no time at all. Just as they were pushing in the stakes for the last tent, the men arrived with piles of wood in their arms. Once again, Aeris's struggles with the tent were recounted and all had a laugh at her expense. Not that she minded. It made for a very funny story. 

A fire was started, the driver offered to cook but apologized, as he wasn't that skilled. Luckily, Aeris volunteered to cook in his stead. Cooking was one of the things she did very well. Taking what meager supplies they had, Aeris whipped up a meal fit for kings. Grilled chicken, with baked potatoes, all perfectly seasoned. After their bellies were full, they spent a small amount of time working off road stress. Telling stories and laughing until the first stars came out, and the world was slowly covered in midnight blue. Barrett and Marlene were the first to go to bed and Aeris followed quickly thereafter. Only the driver lingered for a bit, to clean up a bit and watch to make sure no wild animals were prowling nearby. Satisfied, he crawled into his tent and at that, the camp was completely silent. The only noise was an occasional pop from the dying fire. 

Aeris in her whole life had never slept so well. She was content and dreaming her favorite dream. One of endless fields of perfect flowers, in all the colors of the rainbow. Around her were all her friends and family. It was peaceful there, she was finished and somehow she knew that everything was in good hands. The dream was cut short by the sound of a snapped twig. Her hearing had always been preternaturally acute, and she easily awoke at the slightest of sounds. Snapping her head up, Aeris looked around, her eyes wide with alarm. She licked her lips as indecision wracked her. It might be nothing, just an animal that was curious about the camp. Perhaps drawn here by the smell of food. Still, if it was an animal, it was probably best to chase it off, rather than let it prowl around unchecked. But she was no fighter; there was no way in seven hells she could face up against something predatory. Sure, it might just be a little moogle or something. Then again, it could be something large and dangerous. Never one to scream in girlish fear, Aeris summoned all her courage. Digging in her pack, she found her retractable guard staff. Unzipping the entrance to her tent, she stepped out and clicked the side button on her staff. It unfurled instantly and Aeris clutched it protectively, her eyes darting around the silent camp. She made her way over to Barrett's tent; something like this was best dealt with in numbers. A few steps away from her companion's tent and she heard the noise again. She sucked in a breath, heart beating quickly in fearful anticipation. 

"Who....who's there?" she said, trying not to sound scared and failing miserably. _Idiot. Like some random wild animal is really going to answer_...Her heart hammered as the sound came closer. Aeris looked around wildly now, her mind now too full of fear to think clearly. "S-show yourself." 

Suddenly, she saw a pair of luminous green eyes. Her heart seemed to double its pace and a scream caught in her throat. Nothing good had eyes like that, only things that wanted to kill you had eyes like that. Her knuckles turned white as she grasped her rod, her whole body shaking yet she held her ground. Slowly the owner of the eyes came forward, his shape now visible by the light of the fire. It was a young man. Aeris stared at him wonderingly, her breaths still coming in sharp, hearting hammering away. He was about her age, perhaps a year or two older. He wore nothing but a pair of tattered black trousers. Covered head to toe in blood, in his right hand he carried an enormous sword. She could see that he was gravely wounded. He held his side, which seemed to be bleeding profusely. Countless nicks and cuts covered his exposed skin, and his feet were hastily bound and bleeding, as if he'd walked on glass. The oddest thing about him was his hair. Though stained with blood, it was a pure, startling white. Aeris frowned, her eyebrows knitted with concern. What was he doing out here, like that? Who was he? She was about to voice these questions when the young man finally fixed his gaze on her. His eyes were piercing, even though the gaze itself was lazy, as if he was drugged. He stumbled, mumbling something that sort of sounded like help me, but she couldn't be sure. Wavering a little, he finally lost balance and fell to the ground, unconscious. Aeris watched him for a moment, still grasping her staff. She shook her head, dashing towards Barrett's tent. Opening the door without thought, she crawled in and shook him furiously.

She whispered, "Barrett. Mr. Wallace. Wake up."

"Mmmmff...Wha happa?" He asked groggily, opening one eye experimentally. 

"There's a man. I think he's hurt."

"There's a wha?"

"A man. He's hurt." 

With grudging acceptance, Barrett got out of his tent and let Aeris lead him to where the young man had fallen. Sure enough, he was hurt quite badly. Not just from the superficial wounds, but from a large ugly wound on his back. Purple tendrils crawled out from it, the effects of a very powerful poison. 

"What should we do?"

Aeris didn't need to think, "Help me get him into my tent. I've got supplies."

"Shouldn't we...?"

"No time." 

Barrett scooped the boy up, once again following Aeris this time to her tent. She opened it up; standing back while Barrett gently placed the boy inside. Aeris then entered and began pulling tinctures out of her pack. With military efficiency she ordered Barrett to retrieve some water. Aeris knew what needed to be done, and she didn't need anyone noticing her unique powers. Not like she really wanted to try and explain what being a cetra was to a complete stranger. And she knew that the young man's only chance to live is if she used her gifts. 

Waiting till she was sure he was gone. Aeris clasped her hands in prayer. The patter of rain could be heard in the tent, yet none was falling. With a single blinding beam of light, Aeris opened the heavens. Drawing all the healing power she could from the angels that hovered above her. With great concentration, she dug deeply into the source of his injury. The wounds on his abdomen were clearly gunshot wounds. The bullets would have to be retrieved. Aeris was no surgeon; by her will alone she found them and pulled them out one by one. Each bloodied projectile landed in her hand and she clasped onto them as she continued her work. Beads of sweat formed on her brow in the dying light, her eyes closed and left hand extended, she knit his insides back together. It didn't change much about the entry wounds, but it did stop the internal bleeding that could have killed him. Aeris gasped as her spell finished. Wiping her forehead, she allowed herself a little gasp of delight. It had been the first time she'd successfully executed that spell and it had gone better than planned. Shortly thereafter, Barrett arrived with a bowlful of water. Aeris then noticed that the boy looked considerably cleaner, more than likely a side effect of her spell. If Barrett noticed, he didn't say anything. He entered the tent, carefully handing Aeris the water before sitting down. 

"Anything I can do?"

"Yup." She nodded, throwing him a bandage roll, "Bind up his feet. They're a mess. Then go after the other...wounds." 

"What about you?"

Aeris glanced back at him, "Gonna make a poultice. He's been poisoned." 

Barrett nodded and went to work doing the best he could to patch up the boy's wounds. Meanwhile, Aeris pulled out a small mortar and pestle. Grabbing out selected herbs, she used the water to help grind them into a paste. Once they were sufficiently mixed, she scooped the mixture out with her fingers and molded it into a flat pancake. She instructed Barrett to turn him over and once his back was exposed, she smeared the poultice on the wound. Whatever poison they'd used had been pervasive and Aeris realized no amount of cure spells could heal it. With great care she placed a gauze bandage over the wound. Barrett let the boy down easily and looked up at Aeris. 

"You know who he looks like, dontcha?" He asked it was a question he'd had in his mind since the minute Aeris showed him. He didn't dare say the name. Sephiroth. ShinRa's great general. His name an object of fear and fascination. 

"Yes, I think I do." She answered, the same question in her eyes. "I guess. But what if it's him, what's he doing out here?"

"Dunno. What should we do?"

"I...I don't know. He's hurt, so obviously we can't leave him...but from there, I don't know."

"Well, we'll figure it out in the morning. I guess. If it's okay, I'm gonna get back. I don't want Marlene wakin' up and findin' me gone."

"Yeah. Go. I'll finish up here."

"You wanna sleep in my tent. Plenty of room. If you, know, you don't wanna sleep here..."

"No, I'll be okay. See you in the morning." 

Aeris gazed down at her patient, and sighed deeply. It was going to be a long night. The poison had worked its way deeply into his system. She didn't even have to touch his skin to realize he had a fever he radiated heat. Dipping a rag into the bowl of water, she wiped the sweat and blood off his brow. She noticed then that the large sword he had in his hand, reappeared. They'd left it on the ground, where he dropped it. She remembered that quite clearly. Yet here it was, at his side. She looked from him, to it. Cracking her knuckles in nervousness, she continued her ministrations despite her growing tiredness. He began to shiver and Aeris covered him, continuing her watch late into the night before surrendering to sleep in complete exhaustion an hour before daybreak. 


	3. Dark Blue

_Unlike you I had it easy_

_You're dark blue_

_Stained from previous days_

_And you're so sad _

_It's too bad_

_I wish you could have had what I had_

_And it's too bad you're so sad_

_Maybe I can make you feel better_

                            ---G. Stefani/T. Dumont

He was running at a swift but desperate pace from those that pursued him. Behind him were a dozen or so SOLDIERs on motorcycles following fast on his heels. Of course, he had whacked the proverbial beehive, so he wasn't surprised by the furious desperation in their bid to catch up with him. Killing the president of an international corporation with their own army was perhaps not the wisest course of action, however Sephiroth had no regrets. Shinra was a parasite, like all humans were. He'd died like the animal he was, they all would. This bit of mental detritus did nothing for his current situation. Sephiroth knew that there was no way for him to keep this pace up, his wounds and the poison in his blood were weakening him, not to mention his mangled feet. And running as fast as he was, every step was sheer agony. The sporadic bouts of gunfire did him no good either. 

So far he'd been lucky, the SOLDIERs were not as good as Tseng. Most of their shots had gone wild, hitting pavement rather than their target. With a last burst of energy, Sephiroth formulated a loose plan. He fought his growing lethargy and gripping his sword, he summoned a fira spell from his attached materia. With careful precision, he directed the flames behind him at the pursuing motorcycles. Those unlucky enough to be in the front were instantly incinerated, their bikes spinning out of control as their outer casings burned. The flames soon reached their gas tanks, exploding the careening machines into molten shrapnel. The projectiles twirled and twisted in the air, raining down on the SOLDIERs behind him, either killing the riders outright or damaging the vehicles themselves. Sending man and bike into uncontrollable spins that ended in more than one messy wipe out. 

Sephiroth allowed himself a small smile as he glanced behind at the carnage. Turning his attention back to where it belonged, he concentrated and gathering what strength he had left, he launched himself into the air just as he came to the end of the freeway. It was still under construction, so the road ended abruptly near the very edge of the city. His feet pushed off the pavement and he soared skyward, holding himself there for a moment as he hovered silently above the city so far below him. He wasn't able to fly in the strictest sense of the word. That kind of sustained activity was currently beyond even his considerable power. He was only able to glide for short periods, touching down occasionally to propel himself back into the air. His form was silhouetted against the moon as he hopped from building to building, nearing the city's limit. He'd hoped that if he traveled like this it'd make his trail harder to find. With the blood loss, he was concerned that he'd be far too easy to track. More than likely the Turks were already on the job, and he had to put as much space between himself and Midgar as possible. 

Sephiroth soared through the night sky, his platinum hair wafting softly on the breeze. Everything tinted blue by the moonlight's soft caress. The wind was cold as he flew and though it chilled him in his vulnerable state, it mattered not. He was free from this moment forward. No sensation, however uncomfortable would bother him now. He allowed himself to enjoy the moment, however small. Joy ebbed away as reality seeped in. The poison had begun to work its way further into his system; he could feel its progress as it traveled throughout his body. Sickly sweet death that killed all it touched. By turns he felt weaker and weaker as his health was sapped from him. Whatever freedom he felt, was not likely to last long. 

How long he traveled in this manner he did not know, the world had become a rather blurred canvas. His awareness had become fuzzy and the world seemed to be slowly swallowed in mute anguish, his vision was blurred and his mind dulled. Pain thumped sharply throughout his body, his temples in particular seemed vulnerable. He could feel his veins as they pulsed, straining against his skin as if looking for their own escape. His faculties had become significantly compromised and there was a worry within him that he might not make it. Whatever goal that lay on the horizon might be too far for him to travel in such a state. Even if it wasn't, he began to doubt he'd be able to find it. 

The only thing he knew for certain was that he'd left Midgar far behind him. He could barely see the lights of that accursed city, fading to nothing but a faint glow on the horizon. Someday, he'd see all those lights put out. Sephiroth smirked as the thought of that much destruction pleased him; his enjoyment was short lived as he felt life slipping from him. He stopped mid-air, his eyes opening and closing languorously, head lolling back and forth. His mind screamed in alarm, but could do nothing about the fall that inevitably came. 

He was going to pass out and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Feeling his mind's hold fading, Sephiroth tried his best to make the proper adjustments for his descent. To little avail, he plummeted to the earth like a stone. The wind whistled in his ears and he opened his eyes long enough to spot a small speck of light on the ground below. His hair whipped around him in long tendrils and he groggily stared at the ground as it rushed to meet him. Unconsciousness claimed him, and he momentarily receded into darkness. His body crashing through the canopy of a small copse of trees, snapping branches as he fell. With a thud, he landed on the ground below and he lay there for quite some time, limp and unconscious. Shortly thereafter, the nothingness began to fade before the pain of his poisoning, and he hovered between worlds. 

The toxin in his blood had permeated his tissues, attacking his nervous system and preventing his blood from clotting. His nerves were alive and on fire, and he writhed on the forest floor, his mouth opening and closing in mute agony. Numbly, he realized that he could not stay, that he had to get up, but his body was unable to obey. There was a small part of him that didn't really mind. What good had come by living? His life had been nothing but pain, and it'd end in pain. At least if he died now, he'd be assured that he'd die free. The other part of him screamed at his disobedient body to get up, that he couldn't die until those that hurt him suffered. They needed to pay. He wasn't strong enough yet, that much was obvious but someday he would be. And when he returned, he'd be an avenging angel who'd purge the earth of the filth of humanity. 

By the sheer force of his terrifying will, he forced himself to wakefulness. Sephiroth blinked slowly, finding it hard to see as his vision had become completely blurred. Grimacing, he pushed himself up with one well-muscled arm. Though he was mindful of his pain, he cared very little. Grabbing on to the masamune, he dragged it upwards and thrust it into the ground. Leaning on it, Sephiroth used it to push himself up until he was standing. Wavering slightly as he stood, he turned in the direction of the light he spied from the sky. Things had become so blurry and indistinct that he couldn't be sure he was really walking or merely dreaming that he was. All that mattered was the pinprick of light before him, his tired eyes focused on it as the only destination he could reach. 

He hadn't thought of what he'd do once he got there. That didn't matter. Light meant people, and people, no matter how much he loathed them, meant help. The light was so far away and there was a period where he was convinced that it was moving away from him on purpose. At some point he had vague remembrances of actually reaching that light. He dared to think he actually had, but his natural pessimism suggested that he hadn't and this was a rather awful dream to taunt him before he died. By this point, Sephiroth didn't really care which it was. He was tired and all he wanted was to close his eyes. Staggering out of the darkness, dragging his sword behind him, he looked up to regard the only member of the camp awake. Squinting his eyes, he thought it might be a girl but it was hard to see. His eyesight had degraded so much that all he could see was moving blobs of color. 

"Fuck me." he breathlessly exclaimed, rather surprised he made it to anything resembling civilization before collapsing on the spot.

This time the darkness took him firmly within its grasp and he was lost in a world of dreams. He dreamt that he saw an angel overshadowed in dark blue. She had leaned over him and wreathed in light, took all his pain away. Her kindness left him in awe; never had he met someone so pure and selfless. His mind was quite unable to understand why such a creature would bless a monster like him with mercy. His life had been nothing but relentless pain and he knew that if it ever did stop, it wouldn't be because it cared. It would wait until he was happy and comforted, only to snatch it away to leave him in misery once more. No one had ever cared for him. Because comfort was apparently something he didn't deserve. 

Yet the angel stayed at his side, lending him the lightness of her presence. Her arm would occasionally stretch out, and he'd feel a subsuming warmth wash over him. He felt at peace, and though he was glad of it, he still struggled against it. That ingrained pessimism informing him that the comfort he felt now would only lead to redoubled pain. Had he been in full health, he would have been able to fight it but he was so very tired. He had no choice but to accept the angel's gift, surrendering to dark blue. 

The sun had already peeked above the horizon, steadily rising higher with each moment. It tinted the sky as it rose, from amber hued midnight to rose tinged lavender. With the sun came the intermingling songs of the birds as they greeted the morning. Their voices were strong and clear, and rather cacophonous as more of them awoke. It was a sound one never heard in Midgar, and it was enough to awaken Aeris with a start. She drew in a deep gasp of cool air, immediately resulting in a coughing fit. Squinting her eyes and grunting: Aeris forced her mind into something that resembled wakefulness. Her eyes opened to a world in soft focus and she rubbed them to clear it. After a few moments of opening and closing her eyes several times, she was able to take in her surroundings. Her eyes lighted on --A MAN! Alarms rang off in her head and with a yelp, Aeris flailed until she came to a sitting position, her heart jack hammering. Realization quickly dawned thereafter and she remembered what happened earlier that morning.  Hanging her head, she laughed at her own ridiculous forgetfulness. Aeris reigned herself in and with a stretch, moved over to check up on the injured stranger. 

There was a twinge of guilt in her work as she was ashamed for falling asleep and so easily forgetting he was there. Even if had only been for two hours, something could have happened in that time. Aeris certainly didn't want someone's death on her hands. The young man was in critical condition and it had been quite a struggle to keep him alive. There were a million things that could have gone wrong and there she lay, sleeping like a babe. Though he did appear at first glance to be doing much better. When she had found him last night he'd had a terrible fever, it was so severe his skin had been soaked in sweat. The bright flush was also gone from his cheeks, now dulled to a light blush in the cheeks. She watched him, his chest rising and falling softly in deep slumber. If she'd been smart enough to bring a thermometer she'd be able to better gauge his recovery. As it was, all she could do was touch her hand to his forehead and guess how high the fever might be. Aeris smiled as she laid her hand on his skin, pleased that it was quite a bit cooler than it had been last night. 

She looked down at him with utmost empathy, because she knew despite this improvement, he wasn't out of the woods. His complexion was still quite pale, dark circles standing out underneath his eyes like bruises. And at no point had he regained consciousness. This meant that he was still fighting whatever had poisoned him. She had tried to think of what might have done it, but was at a loss. Never in her life had she seen anything like this. Then again, her life was somewhat sheltered. Still, she'd made a habit of reading up on things like this, as the healing arts had always interested her. The closest she could reckon was that it was a variant of malboro poison. Though how he got poisoned by a malboro in this area was beyond her. 

Malboro were nasty creatures, and from everything she'd read they only lived in one place, Gaea's Cliff. It was a conundrum, but one that would have to wait. It would be awhile before he'd get better, and more than likely he'd get worse before that. She'd had to change his poultice five times that night, that was her strongest mixture and it barely made a dent in the toxin's progress. This seemed to be the variety of poison that was hard to remove once introduced into a system. He moaned in his sleep, his face contorting in pain and his body shifting to try and relieve it. Her brow knit and gently she pushed away hair that had been plastered to his face. Lingering at his temples, her fingers lightly brushed stray strands of sliver back into place. He looked like an angel, his silver hair catching the glints of summer sun as it filtered through the tent's thin walls. Aeris shook her head suddenly, blushing at the thoughts that ran through her head. This was not the time for girlish whimsy. 

With a sigh she set about cleaning and redressing his wounds. It was a mindless, repetitive task that she could have done in her sleep and she found herself zoning out. There was nothing in particular that she thought about, mostly because she was incredibly tired. She started with his feet, which were doing much better than the night before. Luckily, cure spells had been just the thing and there was really little for her to do but clean up. She sterilized the wounds and wrapped them in gauze to keep them clean. Cracking her neck, Aeris prepared to have a go at his back. Grabbing her mortar and pestle, she carefully selected herbs to set in it. Satisfied with the mix, she added a little water and began to grind them slowly. The tent was quiet except for the constant sound of the rubbing of ceramic against ceramic as she mixed the herbs. 

"Mornin'. How's the patient?" 

Aeris jumped at the sound of another voice. Annoyed at herself for being so nervous, she answered him tersely, "He's fine."

The driver didn't seem to notice her discomfort, taking it in stride, "Looks on the pale side if'n you ask me. Any idea who he is?" Aeris shook her head, and before she could voice her own suspicions, the drive interrupted her. "Hey. He looks like that General there over in Midgar. I mean, I ain't seen no pictures but he sure looks like how them papers describe him." Once again, she made as if to answer but he cut off any chance of that happening, "Kids and their fads. This ain't the first time some fool kid dragged hisself into my camp half dead. All them pretty city boys; they come out here thinkin' they're hot shit--like that General. With their hair all bleached up like some god damned Gold Saucer queen. Take on summat they can't handle and end up like this one here. A mess. Well, we'll load him up. No problem. Need any help?" Aeris shook her head, still annoyed at him for his rudeness. The driver still didn't seem to notice, shrugging before leaving the tent, "Suit yourself."

The explanation seemed to fit but Aeris had a kernel of doubt that had seeded itself in the back of her mind. It was ridiculous to think that someone so famous would stumble his way into their camp. And though she'd never seen any pictures of him, the thought that this was Sephiroth stuck in her craw. She'd heard enough about him from her Ex-boyfriend, Zack. How he could best a battalion of shinobi all by himself with one long stroke of the Masamune. Her eyes flickered down to the sword he'd carried when she found him. It was a little over six feet long by her estimations, and the blade was thin, the metal bent in a graceful curve. She swore they left it outside, still covered in blood. Yet here it lay, neatly in its lacquered black sheath as if it belonged there. 

Her cetra eyes saw behind the simple appearance of the weapon, noticing the glimmering aura of malice that surrounded it. The cursed sword, Masamune. Yes, Aeris decided she was quite sure that sword was the legendary Masamune, which meant if the sword were genuine, that its owner was also genuine. Zack had told her there was only one person who could wield that sword. Sephiroth. Now this begged the question, if she accepted these facts, then she had to wonder why it was Sephiroth was here and half dead. From the looks of it, he was probably a fugitive and a dangerous one at that. Not wanting to alarm anyone, at least not yet, she kept this information to herself. Better they live in ignorance, thinking he's some foolish drifter, than to worry about something that might just be a half-truth. She'd simply have to wait for him to wake and pray to god he wasn't nuts. It was a gamble, but one she was willing to take. Ignorance is bliss. 

The driver repeated his story to Barrett, who eagerly accepted his simple explanation. Aeris watched with passive disinterest, as she still had work to do. She pushed the stranger over onto his side after mixing yet another poultice, rubbing it on his pale skin gently. With great care she redressed the rest of his wounds, casting a quick cure spell to continue to speed the healing. The rest of camp had struck around her, until she and the stranger were all that was left. They loaded him on the cart quietly. Nothing more was said of whom he might be as the carriage left the clearing with halting progress. The ride was less bumpy than the day before, as they'd reached the flat lands between Midgar and the mountains. This time Aeris found it easier to be lulled by the pleasant rhythm of the moving wagon. Rocking back and forth, she soon dozed off into a light slumber, her head resting on Barrett's wide shoulder. 

The sun had rose higher in the sky. Pastel hues that marked the morning were burned off by the bright blue of afternoon. Aeris's head was numb with sleep, her forehead sticky as the temperature inside the carriage rose. Her dreams were a wash of muddy images and there was only one that stood out with any clarity. A mountain, backed in indigo, loomed in front of her. Its rocky spires dark and intimidating, and she could see the faint glow of green sickness at the base. Aeris knew of the unspeakable terror that lay within. Her dream self tried to clarify exactly what it was the planet was trying to tell her. She rarely had dreams that weren't in some way premonitory. Unable to draw deeper meaning from the planet's scattered warnings because something was pulling her out of her dream from the outside. The world came shaking into view and her dream fell away like so much mist. 

"Aeris--Something's wrong!!"

With a small grunt, Aeris stared blankly at Barrett's wide face that was cut with deep consternation. There was seriousness in his manner that inspired sudden panic on her part. Any grogginess fled her body and she was instantly awake. Her eyes immediately flickering over to the platinum haired stranger. His fever had come back with a vengeance. He was deathly pale, except for the hot flush in his cheek. Sweat soaked and trembling, Aeris was worried that he wasn't far from either total organ collapse or a seizure. The heat inside the wagon had been too much, combined with the movement--which Aeris suspected had caused the poison still left in his blood stream to spread. 

She cursed, feeling guilty that she hadn't insisted on staying in the clearing for another day. At least until he recovered. Her tiredness was instantly banished in a flurry of activity. She practically jumped over Barrett to get at the compartment that held their luggage, wrenching out her small travel pack. Barely noticing that she'd woke Marlene up, who'd been sleeping on Barrett's other side. Father and daughter watched with open curiosity as their new friend dug frantically through her bag. Aeris let out a gasp of relief, pulling her staff out and clicking it open without so much as a word of warning. Her companions jumped at the unexpected movement, still entranced by Aeris's hurried activity. 

Positioning herself so that she faced the pale stranger, she held the staff at arms length. Aeris closed her eyes and concentrated on her ice materia, calling up the weakest of the three spells. She targeted the stranger and with a deep breath, she began the incantation to bring the spell forth. Not caring one bit that she was demonstrating her power to strangers; she let her staff go as the spell suffused her being. Green light surrounded her and her eyes snapped open, she held out her hands over the now hovering staff. With a rush of energy she felt the spell loose itself from her body and directing its essence towards her target. Aeris frowned, pinching her face as she forced her will upon the spell, holding it back the destructive nature of the spell. Instead of a crushing wall of ice, she manipulated it into a neat snowy breeze that cooled the intended target instead of killing it. The flush died from the young man's face and Aeris smiled, oblivious to the looks of shock from Marlene and Barrett.  

Marlene smiled, impressed and tugging on her father's shirt she lisped, "Baba, when I grow up--I wanna be just like Aeris." 

The large man only nodded, entranced by the sight laid out before him and unable to tear his eyes away. "A-Aeris, that's amazing. How...How are you doing that?"

"Practice." She said, barely keeping her concentration from wavering. 

"How long will you have to keep that up?" 

"Don't know." She replied, looking visibly tired. 

Barrett was tempted to curse, because he realized that she'd have to hold on till they stopped, which could be hours. He wondered if she'd be able to make it. "Anythin' I can do?"

She shook her head and bit her lip, her arms wavering as she struggled to maintain control. Wisely, Barrett decided not to ask any more questions. She'd obviously done things like this before and he trusted her to know what she was doing, but the strain had to be awful. Occasionally she'd stop for a short time, and he'd help by wiping her brow or getting her water or food. It was the only thing he could do, not being adept at magic in the least. By the time they stopped for the night, Aeris was exhausted. She'd spent all day kneeling on the uncomfortable floor of the wagon continually casting the blizzard spell. It had helped; she knew that because although he was still feverish, he'd stopped trembling and the slick of sweat on his forehead disappeared. Barrett had been kind enough to dig out a blanket, so that the boy wouldn't get too cold. The spell had chilled the interior of the wagon so that it was vaguely comparable to the temperature inside a meat locker. 

It had taken awhile, but Aeris eventually felt a little warmer as she sat in front of the campfire. The boys had gone about setting up the tents without her and Marlene had volunteered to make dinner. She thought of objecting, but the little girl seemed so insistent. Marlene it seemed had a few hidden talents and apparently cooking was one of them. It made sense, with a single father; Marlene must have had to take on some of the domestic responsibility.  The little girl prepared a simple broth, setting the first bowl she prepared in Aeris's hands. Muttering an exhausted thank you, Aeris began to eat, barely noticing the subtle flavor as she gulped it down. Shortly thereafter, Barrett and the driver joined them. While the men talked, Aeris yawned so deeply that tears came to her eyes, her head bobbed and she shook herself, alarmed that she almost fell asleep. It would be another long night watching the strange young man who'd come into her care. With tired resignation, Aeris got up to go and check on Sephiroth, momentarily startled at her admission of his identity. Or at least who she suspected him to be. Didn't matter, she told herself and with cautious footsteps, she ambled over towards her tent. 

"Where you goin'?" Barrett's deep baritone inquired.

"The stranger...I have to check up on him." Aeris replied thickly.

"Don't you worry 'bout that, Miss. Me and Barrett, we'll look after the lad tonight. You need rest." 

Aeris tried to object but before she could get a word in, Marlene interrupted her thought by tugging on her arm. "I'm tired. Time to go bed!" 

"But...." 

"Come on, Ris. Me and you, we'll have a slumber party, okay?"  Marlene interjected, this time taking her new best friend by the hand and dragging her over to the tents. 

Aeris was too tired to resist, looking back with a pout at her companion's amused faces. Less than two seconds later, she was in Barrett's tent with Marlene and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. The next morning came and with it an argument over what to do with their sick charge. Barrett had spent the night with him and while Sephiroth's prognosis didn't improve, at least it hadn't deteriorated. His fate within the tiny group had yet to be decided. All eyes were on Aeris as the essential question was raised. Was he well enough to move? Because everyone had agreed, no matter how good Aeris was with magic, it was unthinkable to make her endure sustained casting for the next two days. 

With a heavy sigh, Aeris admitted that the boy wouldn't be able to survive the trip if moved. It wasn't his wounds, but the biting sting of the poison that was the issue. He had to stay completely motionless, with liberal applications of the poultice to clear his blood of the toxin and perhaps if he woke up, a tincture to speed the process. Nevertheless, it would take at least a full week of this treatment to see any kind of forward momentum in his health. The Driver quickly reminded her they didn't have a week; he had to stay on schedule. So, it came down to one of them staying and waiting for the next caravan to pick them up once the boy was well enough to travel. This was where the argument started. Aeris had effectively ended it by volunteering. There were objections but Aeris's legendary stubbornness and dedication to sweet reason that won out in the end. Barrett had his daughter to tend to, and no one but the driver himself knew how to drive that cart. Aeris was without family and skill with chocobos, she was the natural choice. At least in her opinion. Barrett and the driver of course objected, having the protective yet slightly chauvinistic opinion that a woman couldn't take care of herself. Especially one who looked as feminine and helpless as Aeris. 

Aeris scowled and crossed her arms, she shouted, with her voice full of irrevocability on the argument, "I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! I'M STAYING AND THAT'S FINAL!"

Both men blanched at her admonition, as they saw a side to their female companion they hadn't known was there. Her eyes flashed like an angry tiger that brooked no trespass. Barrett had seen that look on his late wife's face and knew it was better to just shut up and agree. The driver didn't quite catch on right away, but with a gentle nudge from Barrett, his mouth snapped shut. With that decided, the camp was struck once again, only this time Aeris's tent stood still. A lone little shelter, with her still sleeping charge inside. The driver gave her plenty of provisions and basic instructions on how to live in the wild. Where to forage for berries and mushrooms, to supplement the meager rations she was given. How to make a snare to catch small squirrels and rabbits. The importance of keeping food and trash off the ground so as to not attract unwanted attention from the more dangerous forms of wildlife. Aeris absorbed all that she didn't know already quickly. Before everyone left for good, the driver gave her an Enemy Away materia, which he hoped would keep anything unwanted from her camp. He also gave her a PHS device in case she got into any real trouble, and with a smile, he placed a hand on her small shoulder.

"Yer a brave lass. May the planet bless and keep you." 

Aeris nodded with a small smile, "Thanks. Same to you." 

Barrett came and gave her a big hug, though he uttered not a word, his eyes spoke volumes. He was going to miss her. In the small time he knew the girl, she'd grown on him. She was a pure soul and in his life he'd only met a few. He released her and went to wait by the wagon while Marlene said goodbye. The little girl came running up to Aeris at top speed, wrapping her small arms around Aeris's knees. It nearly knocked Aeris over but she caught herself in time and hugged the child back. 

"Aerith...Baba sayz that you gonna stay here wif that man. Tell him you wanna come wif us, okay?"

Aeris gave the girl a brittle smile, "No, I'm sorry sweetie. You're Daddy's right. I have to stay here."

"BUT! WHYYYYYYYY!!" the little girl cried, "Iss'nat fair! I don't want to leave! IF YOU CAN'T COME WIF I WANNA STAY WIF YOOOOOU!" 

"Marlene.... honey." the flower girl said, her tone gentle and she wiped Marlene's tears away, "You can't stay here. Your Papa will be lonely without you and it's dangerous."

The girl interjected, "But if it's dangerous, why are you staying?"

"Because...that stranger we found needs my help right now. I'm a healer, and he's very sick. So sick he can't be moved. I have to try and help him get well, you see?"  

"Aren't you scared?"

"Yes, yes I am. But I have my staff and my magic, so I'll be just fine and I promise, once this is all over. I'll come and find you and your Daddy."

"Really?" Marlene asked, her high child's voice full of doubt. She paused and waited; smiling once Aeris gave her a nod, "Alright. Can we have a party?"

Aeris laughed, "Of course! Now get going, and be safe!"

The little girl hugged Aeris tightly before skipping off to join her father, "Gaia be with you, Aerith!!"

"Blessings to you too! Be careful!!" 

Aeris watched as Barrett hauled Marlene up and put her in the back of the wagon, climbing up after her. Final preparations were made and the wagon lurched forward. Barrett and Marlene looked back, waving at Aeris as the carriage pulled out of the clearing. She watched the wagon as it left, watched it until it became a tiny little dot in the horizon. Once again she was alone, nothing but the sound of the wind and the sometime song of the birds. It was better than the clamor of the city but no less lonely. There was the stranger, so she wasn't technically alone. Aeris sighed, feeling suddenly afraid for herself. A young woman, alone in the wilderness with any number of wild things that could kill her, with a man she barely knew, who's in a coma and for all she knew could be a raging psycho. Sephiroth had a legendary temper. Hadn't she heard that somewhere? The flower girl shook herself, realizing it was futile to dwell on what couldn't be changed. 

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" She questioned herself, a soft summer breeze being the only answering voice.  


	4. Within You Without You

_We were talking about the space between us all_

_And the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion._

_Never glimpse the truth, then it's far too late, when they pass away._

_We were talking about the love we all could share._

_When we find it, try our best to hold it there._

_With our love,_

_With our love, we could save the world, if they only knew. _

_ --George Harrison_

Soft morning light filtered through the porous nylon of the tent, illuminating the lone figure within. Tenuous waves of dappled sunshine flickered over his pale brow. He flinched, squinting his eyes to keep the unwanted intruder at bay -- he was so tired. The interior of the tent was still and quiet, nothing but the faint sounds of birds could be heard in the small clearing beyond. Morning's fragile dew hung over the camp, condensation dampening the walls of the tent. Tiny dollops of water clinging to the fabric, only to slough off at any given moment. The morning was cool and clear, only the slightest hint of afternoon warmth could be felt in the air. It promised to be a beautiful day, warm enough to be enjoyed but not so much so that it sent you running for the shadows. There alone was one person who did not feel the blessings of this day, who lay corpselike in a sick bed, his dreams full of dread and fear.

Visions of his past haunted him. Though he cared not to recognize individual memories because he knew if he did, he'd wallow in the abject loneliness that was his life and to do that would be submitting to weakness. And he could not be weak, they would not allow him to be and for his own sake he could not show it. He shoved away those things that made him feel anything but anger. Closed his heart and let hate settle where love belonged. Gradually inuring himself to those things that touched others, that made them human. What did it matter if others felt? They were human, not he. For him, the world was a black canvas. He saw no gray, no white, no color of any kind. There was only cold rage and pain. No joy, no love, no real sorrow. And in that ideation, there was a terrible flaw and he could sense it but could not grasp its meaning.

There was much he'd missed in his short life. Things he felt were kept from him. He'd never had even a remotely normal life and consequently he envied and loathed all those who did. Despite all his advances, his improvements on human kind -- no matter how intelligent he became. How strong he was. There would always be a missing piece and though he thought his heart dead to it, he searched for that piece. Vainly hoping that one day he'd find it.

So it was in his dreams that he sought out something beyond the veil of agony. Chasing after illusions. Always on the edge of his sight was the angel. She'd always been there in some form or another. But he'd never been able to grasp her. Was it his fault? His own lack of faith that kept him from her or was there more to it? He feared deep down that it wasn't him but her. That she didn't want to reach him because she could see him for what he really was. He was a monster. The scientists called him many things, but he believed none of them. He was no supreme being, no planet shepherd. His purpose had always been clear -- he was a killer. A comrade of death, as the angel was a comrade of life -- how could she see fit to show him mercy? Yet she did just that. He couldn't fathom it and so his mind groped in empty darkness for a solution.

Was it a dream? Another mindless rambling hope put there by a soul he thought long dead. There were many times when he was alone in the void that he wished he just wouldn't wake up. _This was a dream, it had to be_. The pain was there and if there was pain it could only mean that he'd been taken back. No doubt they were performing one more test to see how he'd react. Throw the boy a bone, show him what he doesn't have and once you see that flicker of hope that anything in life could be good -- steal it away. Watch him cry, scream, destroy, until he became a gibbering pile of flesh and bone or better yet. See if they could drive him right over the edge, until he lost all sense of reason. Let him tear the place apart for a few hours to gauge how strong he'd become. It doesn't really matter what he does, even if it's nothing. Because all his agony was worth writing down_. _

_"I wonder what they have to say now_?", he thought bitterly, quietly pressing down his consciousness. "_Just let me stay here. Let this be the last time they have anything to write about_."

From the top of the tent a crystalline drop of water fell down and wetted his pale cheek. Another dropped and another, shocking him out of the comfort of the void. Sephiroth's eyes fluttered as he opened them and with painful effort he lifted his hand to his cheek. Wiping away the water, he moved his hand to his burning eyes. It was too bright and his eyes seemed to be having trouble adjusting to it. Moaning with his hand covering his face, Sephiroth turned on his side tiredly. His body was awake and alive with pure agony, he felt a burning heat in his cheeks and his joints ached painfully.

Sephiroth took stock of his situation. Everything seemed to be in place, and he knew this because of the pain. It suddenly overwhelmed his thought, sending a shockwave of agony through his body powerful enough to make him curl into a fetal position. He gritted his teeth until the tremor passed, refusing to let himself cry out. Tears came to his eyes and he blinked them away, daring to open them once more. This time his eyes adjusted to the light somewhat better and though his vision was still a bit hazy, he could at least take in his surroundings.

That he was in a tent, there was little doubt. He thought about moving but at the moment, his pain was too acute for him to even try. Contenting himself with what he could see from his limited perspective, he gazed over at the far wall of the tent. The first thing he noticed was he was apparently the only one who actually slept in the tent. His sleeping bag being the only one occupying the space. To his immediate right was a small cotton knapsack that looked as if it'd been filled to capacity. Next to the knapsack sat an empty metal bowl, its white surface gleaming in the morning light. Inside the bowl was a damp hand towel, carefully folded so that it sat neatly in the middle. Around the bowl were arranged a variety of small tins and bottles, as well as a mortar and pestle.

His vision blurred again and another series of painful cramps wracked his crippled form. Heat flared in his cheeks as slow fire crept through his veins. There was no way to stop the memories from surfacing, no way to keep himself from remembering. The void came for him and he was once more overwhelmed. Tired. He was so tired of living. _I wish I were dead_. How many times had that exact thought crossed his mind in his short life? Some would say too many, but he knew it was not nearly enough. He had been brought so close to death's door that he could see the wood grain. Yet he always came back, his body healed and without any scars to remind him how close he'd been to the edge. A combination of the mako treatment he'd endured his entire life and his strange birthright, which he knew so little of. In the dead of night, he sometimes wondered if he could be killed at all. He doubted his own mortality and it made him reckless.

Interruption. The sterile white lights of a laboratory rendered everything in bland whites and grays. This memory from his childhood was the same as all the others. They melded together to form a cohesive whole that was like a wound to his heart. A gaping hole that seeped his lifeblood and kept him from ever feeling anything real. Sephiroth could feel the straps as they chaffed the tender flesh of his wrists. Could taste the dry leather of the gag that was wrapped around his mouth. It kept him from screaming, but it also kept him from biting his own tongue off when the seizures came. _You are nothing. No one. Not human._ _My specimen. My perfect killing machine. How well you've done your job._

Sephiroth felt so helpless, immobile in the dark void of his own being. He could feel the sterile touch of the scientists. The way they measured him, poured over him for data. The cold, loveless warmth of their hands as they cut him to time how long it took for him to heal himself, how he hated the feeling of human touch. He'd done everything in his power to avoid it once he had the chance. Covering himself head to toe, even going so far as to wear gloves rather than experience the repugnant feeling of another's skin next to his own. All over him, he could feel it. It somehow felt different than the hands that had touched him before, gentler. No matter how tender it felt, how his body sang with pleasure, he revolted against it. _Stop touching me. STOP TOUCHING ME. STOP IT. STOP IT_.

Sephiroth bolted upright with a gasp as the last tendrils of the dream wore off. It took him a moment to collect himself, to remember where he was and what had happened to bring him here. Though he was hardly sure of where "here" was. How long had he been out? The realization that he had no way of knowing bothered him. Every minute counted and he knew that ShinRa was already looking for him or his body. He was vaguely cognizant that it was the poison Tseng had shot into him that'd put him in such a state, wondering if it was made specifically for him. "_How touching"_, he snorted at the thought. A sudden cramp seized and almost brought him back down; closing his eyes tightly he fought it. He had to keep moving, though where he might go was something he hadn't thought much about.

Wincing a little, he grabbed his sword and exited the tent to take his first look at the world around him. The morning was bright and clear, he shielded his tired eyes from the pristine glow of the summer sun. Scanning the vast horizon all he could see was a vast and empty wilderness. The view filled with fields that spread across the plain in pleasant green waves, only interrupted by the occasional grove of trees. The clearing in which he stood was near one such grove and it was apparently the thickest of the lot.

He had, in fact, underestimated the forest behind him, for that was what it was. All that lay behind him lead to Kalm and away from Midgar, hence the abundance of life. The plain that stretched before him was that which was tainted by Midgar's filth or more precisely, all that was hardy enough to grow in ground gradually made unlivable by the mako pollution that belched out of the city at an obscene rate. At the moment, Sephiroth registered none of this, as he was more concentrated on keeping himself upright. Taking his first tentative steps from the tent, Sephiroth paused as he looked at the view laid out before him. He was free. The realization was sudden and earth shattering.

He didn't have anywhere to go, no appointments to keep and most importantly, no one to tell him what to do. He was his own man. His heart pounded wildly and he nearly fell over with the sheer joy the thought wrought upon him. Leaning on his sword heavily, he managed not to fall into a heap on the ground. He closed his eyes and let a ghostly smile grace his normally cold features. It was okay for him to feel, it was okay to enjoy this fleeting moment of pleasure, because his life was finally his own.

Sephiroth stood there for a long time, even though his legs screamed with pain and his strength began to run out. He would have this moment and extend it as long as possible. Past caring, he would stand here and enjoy his freedom even if it killed him. God damn it, he deserved it for all the years of torture and suffering, he needed to have this moment. It was proof that he was alive and that though not entirely human, that he was indeed a person. A person who craved his freedom, a person who could enjoy what everyone else took for granted. His smiled widened as he relished the thought.

Inhaling deeply, his long silver hair fluttered as a slight summer breeze came from nowhere. The clever western wind called to him through that breeze. Its voice beckoning him over far waters to move in its direction, pulling at him--stimulating long dormant instinct to obey his maker's voice. He had to follow the wind to the west, to the purple mountains. Beneath those mountains lay what he sought to finalize his true purpose. Though what that might be, the wind did not tell him. It only showed him that which he wanted most. The power to bring his enemies to their knees.

The offer was indeed tempting, but Sephiroth felt himself hesitating. Had he heard this yesterday or the day before, he would have been overjoyed but now...he wasn't so sure it was power he really wanted. This new feeling of freedom had overwhelmed him and once experienced could not be erased. He didn't know what it was he wanted, but he did know now that he had a choice. The wind's whispers sounded to him like yet another set of rules to live by, one more thing telling him what to do.

There was so much of life he'd been denied. Now, lay an opportunity to make right all that had been wrong with his life. He'd never had a normal life and he didn't believe that it ever would be. Still, he had the choice to experience those things normal people did. A chance to no longer just envy a simple life, but to experience it. It was frightening to have so little in the way of direction as his life had always been regimented and controlled, down to the very second.

He'd never had moments like this, where he quietly enjoyed the morning as it passed him by. It was a rush from one obligation to another. From the morning exam by the researchers, to kendo practice, to troop inspection and training, to the meeting with the department heads, to his psychological exam, another meeting with Shinra and Hojo, then the final nightly medical exam--his day in a nut shell--formerly. Of course, there was always the bi-weekly mako injection to break things up but that was beside the point.

These things were all gone, of the past, done with. The strings were cut but the clever west wind still tried to fill the void left by ShinRa. It was trying to repair those strings, set up shop as Sephiroth's new puppeteer and though he resisted, the west wind was awfully persistent. It was because he was weak, in body -- no matter how temporary, and more importantly, in mind. His one flaw, his rather unstable sense of self that allowed him to be so easily lead, the reason he'd stayed underneath ShinRa's yoke for so long. Just as he was about to break down and do as the wind asked, the sound of another distant voice broke through his reverie. The west wind stilled and no longer did its voice or its call seem so urgent.

Instinct buried, Sephiroth's eyes shot open and he tilted his head in the direction of this new sound. It came from the woods behind the tent, a singsong tune that drowned out the crafty west wind entirely. This new voice was real and more than likely had an owner. Probably the one who had been taking care of him, the one who dressed the wounds on his back and feet. Whoever it belonged to was definitely female, her high voice lilting above the bower of the forest. She was singing, though he didn't recognize the tune nor the language it was sung in, all the same he was entranced by it.

_Mon Cher_

_Bien que les étoiles puissent tomber_

_Je vous attends ici_

_Mon Espoir_

_Bien que les cieux pleurent_

_Je vous attends ici_

_Bien que les rêves meurent_

_Vous sere_....

The voice cut off abruptly as its owner came into view, her form emerging from the darkness of the forest. There was a pregnant pause as they regarded each other. Jade eyes gazing at emerald and back again. She was quite young but by only a few years, by his estimation. Her auburn hair hung past her waist and was wet as if it had just been washed. It managed to dampen the front and back of her thin pink dress, the fabric clinging to her slim body, pleasantly accentuating her curves. The dress itself was quite simple, a spaghetti strapped affair that looked to be perfect for such a bright summer day.

It was startling how out of place she looked, pale and thin, like a little china doll. She looked so fragile that she might just break if touched, hardly the kind of soul one would think to find out in the wild places of the world. This slip of a girl had taken care of him over god knew how many days in the middle of a vast and dangerous wilderness. She was either crazy or possessed some inner strength that was not visible on the surface.

The pause that had so paralyzed them ended as the girl slowly approached him. She seemed apprehensive in her movement and at the same time, curious. The girl stopped directly in front of him, lifting her head up to gaze into his face. She was so short, almost miniscule in comparison with his six-foot frame. Once again he was amazed and tilted his gaze to meet hers, his face a complete and stony facade that gave away no trace of emotion. His eyes were smoldering, the only evidence that he felt anything. They spoke one thought, one of nature's rather large signs that said--leave alone. Her face, on the other hand, was an open book, as a myriad of thoughts and feelings could be pulled from it for reference. Wonder, relief, trepidation, awe and curiosity all flickered across it in a matter of seconds. She didn't seem to notice his disdain. He had given her a classic icy stare that would have paled most; even Hojo flinched underneath that gaze. The girl was quite oblivious to it, or maybe she just didn't care. So instead of taking his taciturn demeanor as a cue to leave him alone, she decided to engage him. _Wonderful._ Sephiroth cursed his own idiocy for not leaving sooner.

"You're awake!" She had stated the obvious and a sarcastic reply was on his lips, until she smiled. "I'm so glad! Are you feeling well?"

Eyes narrowed and without a word, he pushed past her as if she wasn't even there. He was glad of his freedom, glad that she had saved him from untimely death but this did not mean he owed her anything. He was not her friend nor did he want to be. She was one of them in his eyes, faceless nameless people who drifted in and out of his life. One of many who'd either helped him or hurt him; the difference was negligible as in the end they'd just leave anyway. The only constant in his life had been Hojo's hateful visage, though he was happy to relegate him to a footnote in his history, as of today. She too was a footnote, an interesting addendum to a story half lived, better left behind.

If he stayed, he'd put the girl in danger. ShinRa was hunting for him; he had no doubt about that. Any civilian that got in their way was expendable. Worse, ShinRa might even offer a large bounty for information that would lead to his capture. She might be tempted to trade his freedom for her profit. He wished to see none of these scenarios. There had been enough painful memories kept secreted away behind those jade eyes, enough sadness and loss to fill the pages of a thousand books.

With his freedom, he only wished to see an end to misery, his own, the world's, whatever source it came from. He didn't want to be the cause, didn't want to be the victim. Friendship meant little to him, love a more distant thought than friendship. Such things were not for him. He was the odd piece out; he didn't belong and therefore would segregate himself from society. Better to live in solitude than to try to fit into a puzzle that you didn't belong to.

Trying his best to keep his gait smooth, he limped away from the girl. He must have cut a very pathetic figure hobbling along like a lame beggar, the image amused him and he would have laughed, had she not been there. Sephiroth didn't slow, even though he was tired, sore and wanted nothing more than to collapse on the ground and sleep for a week. He nearly laughed again, him needing sleep.

Not letting it show, he soldiered forward as if bound and determined to conceal any weakness. This attempt to salvage his pride didn't work. His body was unable to push itself as it had before; too many of its resources had been depleted. Without proper rest, he wouldn't recover and on some level Sephiroth knew this but didn't care. The age-old recklessness in his character threatening to take his life once more, another challenge sent to death, begging it to take him. Legs shaking, he stumbled and would have fallen had not the girl darted forward suddenly to grab his arm. This one action steadied him, allowed him to stand and simultaneously humiliated him. His eyes blazed neon as his ire rose.

"Where are you going?" She asked, obviously quite concerned for his welfare.

Sephiroth yanked his arm away with what strength he had left. As she staggered backwards her fingers slipped from his flesh, leaving warm trails of tingling warmth behind them. He shivered, replying to her query with quiet menace. "Don't touch me."

The combination of his icy tone and the luminescent danger reflected in his eyes stopped the girl cold. He needn't tell her what he might do to her if she dared to cross him, that look was enough. Finally the effect he'd hope to have on her surfaced. Fear. She stood in front of him, completely unable to move. Her emerald orbs as wide as saucers as she bit her lower lip, hand darting up to play with a stray curl. Looking down at her, it was if all the life in her had been drained or hidden away behind a secret door. It was disconcerting because she simply stood there, staring blankly into space. Not moving out of his way, which annoyed him more than her invasion of his private space had.

"Move."

Awareness crept back into her eyes and she slowly shook her head, "No."

His eyes widened in blatant disbelief. "MOVE." He repeated, his tone more commanding as he lifted his right hand as if to unsheathe his sword.

She noted his movement and the threat it entailed, but stood her ground, "No. You're still sick. You need to rest..."

Again he felt her feather light touch and he flinched, his hand hovering just above the handle of his sword. Anyone else would have been in pieces by now, yet she had managed to stay his hand. It was puzzling to say the least and he frowned as his mind swirled in confused thought. They stood there for what seemed like hours, mildly regarding each other. Neither sure what the other might do. A wave of nausea hit him suddenly then, finally unseating his normally unflagging strength and he reeled. Tightening his jaw, he fought the lightheadedness that came with the sensation. He desperately tried to remain upright, tipping back and forth as the nausea gave way to full blown agony. His sword slipped from his grasp and his head lolled back, eyes fluttering as he fought to stay conscious.

Reluctantly, he realized that he had no choice but to rely on her for continued assistance. He had to use the girl if he wished to keep standing and blindly, he grabbed for her. His hand clamping on her shoulder with little regard for her comfort, she made a squeak of protest but it was more for the strength of his grip, rather than the touch itself. She didn't shy away from the contact, as he would have, she invited it. Moving the hand she'd set on his arm up, so that it gripped his shoulder in return.

His breathing became low and heavy, and he let more of himself slump onto her form, his head slipping down so low it nearly rested on her shoulder. The girl's body stiffened underneath him. He didn't much care, though it did bring him a detached kind of amusement to see her finally discomfited. He held onto her like she was the last foundation of the earth, a pillar that was standing between him and total darkness. Even more unbearable than this one girl was the thought of the nothingness and the nightmares it brought.

His eyes closed and he let the world fade away, not into nothingness but something else entirely. Into a memory of shattered silver glass, of things long forgotten, alien feelings that swelled up from within that he recognized as not his own. They came nonetheless, erupting into his consciousness like breaking waves on the shore. Sephiroth pushed them back with urgency, alarmed by the suddenness and ferocity of this emotion so unlike the rage he knew well. Once again, by sheer will power he held his emotions in check, just barely.

Where had this come from? His eyes snapped open and with a burst of energy he did not have, he stared at the girl. She had to be the cause of it. How one so insignificant as her could resurrect feeling in him, he did not know. But she had. Hadn't she? Looking more deeply, he saw that she was just as confused as he, as if she was experiencing the same thing. Her emerald eyes trailed his face with unabashed fascination and he felt uncomfortable under her gaze but unable to tear his own eyes away. A connection had been formed and he felt an odd bond of familiarity and a certainty that somehow, he had known this girl.

Racking his mind, he tried to remember the when and where of their meeting. Normally, his memory was flawless with such things. It angered him; the mystical did not suit his meticulously logical nature. He could remember thousands of faces of people he'd met at one time or the other. Most times, he couldn't place a name to a face, but it hardly mattered. If he saw them again, he would know where and when he had first seen them. Surely, if he had met this girl, he would have a recollection of it but it simply was not there.

The feeling, however, would not pass and his heart beat faster. He could sense that she had felt the same, her emotions just barely touching his. Winding their way from her mind to his like the flow of an overfed river. This dreamtime, this waking reverie, in it he knew that he'd in some way always known her and with this realization, a link had grown between them. Though he could not yet feel it. How did he know her? From when and where? The answers would not come, hiding themselves behind thick walls of impenetrable memory. And from the planet a whisper and a fragment of thought formed on his lips, "_Isolde_..."

The entire forest had gone suddenly quiet as the pair stood, nearly holding each other in the clearing. The earth underneath them pulsed, sending out directional waves of energy that shook the branches of the trees. An eruption of sound as all the birds fled the safety of their bowers and the sky became clouded as they took to flight. Sephiroth and the girl briefly broke eye contact to look up at the strange sight. It had broken the tenuous link between them and Sephiroth could now only feel the cold comfort of his own fury. He untangled himself from the girl, shoving her to the ground as roughly as he could. She hit the ground with a resounding thump, her face twisting in pain. Standing over her, his eyes burnt with accusatory rage. _How dare she_. Was all that entered his mind, that and making her pay for whatever magic she'd cast on him.

His voice low, he whispered, "What have you done to me?"

Author's NOTE!

Whew! Hope you liked this one. It took awhile for me to get it just right. A good bit of action in this chapter; though I constantly worry I'm pushing it too far. sigh Hopefully you'll like it, otherwise I'll cry. Okay, I won't cry but I will feel bad. Okay, enough guilt. I'll have more of Aeris's song later. It's in French--just an FYI. I wanted to give the Cetra their own language and as I'm not a genius, like J.R.R. Tolkein, who invented all his own languages. I have to go with what we have here in the real world. I think that if the Cetra spoke in any language, it would sound very much like the language of love, as French is so often called. A big hug and a kiss to Adrwynna Morrigu, who helped IMMENSELY in the writing of this chapter. Originally it went in a completely different direction and it just plain sucked. Thank god for people you can bounce ideas off of. I'm gonna hafta do a special drawing just for her in appreciation for her help! Anyways, I'll be seeing you all!

Love,

Noa

PPS--It was brought to my attention that I may have screwed up the French in this chapter. Being that I must rely on translator services to translate my French, as I don't know the language very well. I apologize to our French speaking people who might be reading this. The services I go to are reliable--somewhat--but sometimes they don't exactly go for the most common way to say things. Book French rather than the more natural French a native speaker would use. I have to thank Izpalluzado for pointing this fact out. If at any time I do this again, please...for the love of god...tell me! Because I am respectful of other people's culture and would not like to get something wrong that might offend. Thank you!


	5. Should I stay or should I go?

_Should I stay or should I go now?_

_If I go there will be trouble_

_And if I stay it will be double_

_So come on and let me know..._

_                             --The Clash_

I told you so. A phrase used ubiquitously, mostly by siblings, to declare with utmost triumph that you were right. It is a way of dangling your victory in the face of your opponent. I told you so, proclaims to they who doubted that you were right and they were very, very wrong and if they had listened to you in the first place, they wouldn't be in whatever pickle they were in now. If the planet had a concept of petty victory then surely it would tell her so now. In all fairness, it had warned her to leave; telling her that the man she had nursed to health was dangerous. Foolishly, she ignored the planet and now that foolishness had awoke and bitten her in the ass. Aeris knew that the ripple of concern the planet sent her was just that, simple concern for its last steward. It was worried for her and she appreciated it. She really did but underneath it all she felt the very human concept that somehow the planet had faced her.

Shaking the fog from her mind, she almost laughed out loud at the thought. With an interior chuckle, she thought silently,  "_You got served, Aeris_."

With painful effort, she brought herself up off the ground from which she'd been thrown to. For someone as ill as he was, he was still incredibly strong. The world had gone eerily silent and she knew he was awaiting some kind of answer to his question. _What have you done to me_? It was ridiculous. She'd done nothing but she hardly thought such a simple response would satisfy him. Those neon green eyes, full of fire and rage, demanded something more solid and tangible than anything she could give him.

Whatever power had overtaken them was beyond her and just as strange. It felt as if it came from the planet and yet not. Once again, there was the problem of what to tell him, how much. Should she just blurt out that she was the last cetra, that she could hear the planet and despite this, she had no idea what had just happened, moreover, that the very power that overwhelmed them moments ago seemed as if it came from the very planet she claimed to hear. Yet still, she knew nothing of what it was or where it really came from. It wasn't just ridiculous, it was insane. Even she wasn't willing to believe such nonsense and she was more than used to accepting the unexplainable. Aeris had tried several times in the last few moments to connect with the planet and for reasons known only to itself; the planet had not answered her. So she was left to examine the morning's events, hoping that somehow she'd be able to pull some reason the strange feeling of connectivity she had felt with him.

She awoke early that morning. Her internal clock was faultless and perfect; she was a creature of nature and like them woke with the first graceful fingers of sunlight. As the sun crested the horizon at around five thirty that morning, her eyes opened with wonder and a grateful smile graced her features. Every morning for her was a supreme gift and something to be savored. She had always felt that the world was at its best in the morning. There was something glorious about waking to see the sunrise, the world around still sleeping in silent repose. All that noise and bustle, quieted beneath the muted pastel gaze of golden sunshine.

The odd lavender quality of the light lending an almost ethereal look to the world, reminding her of a painting she'd once seen in an old art history book. It was of a placid little lake, the colors were pale yet oddly vibrant in their own way. Large and small dollops of paint converged to create a hazy impression of water lilies resting on the surface of that lake. Their light green leaves floating placidly on the powder blue surface, bright white and pink smudges of paint that represented the lilies themselves. The painting had a sense of overwhelming tranquility. As if all was right and perfect within this world, so still that such peace could exist without threat. This was the way she'd always viewed mornings, as if the world was just too quiet to be disturbed by the more ugly aspects of life.

She had taken to sleeping outside ever since Barrett had left. There was something terribly inappropriate about sleeping in the same tent with a man she barely knew and Aeris was a very proper girl. Besides the fact that the last two nights had been relatively warm and she'd seen no sign of dangerous wildlife. There was also a luxury in falling asleep underneath the moonlit sky. She'd been denied the stars for most of her life and felt that this small indulgence couldn't be faulted. It was comforting to look up from her makeshift bed as sleep slowly took her to see the lights of her ancestors winking at her from above. Barring all the strangeness with Sephiroth and why she was here in the first place, she had to say she'd never been more content in her life. There was a sense of freedom, though overshadowed by the pull of fate, she still felt unfettered none-the-less and this feeling was more wonderful than anything she could imagine.

Waking that morning, she had unwillingly squirmed from her sleeping bag and faced the cool morning air. Stretching and yawning deeply, she went about starting her day. First and foremost, was a bath. There was a nearby stream, which she found easily, in part due to the driver's directions that he'd given her before he left. It had been awhile since she'd last bathed and she was aching to be clean again. The dirt from the road left a slick of grime over her skin and her hair was the kind that didn't tolerate being left unwashed for days.

 It had been two days since Barrett and the driver had left. The young man in her care had not awakened, and she was quite confident that no one would stumble upon her. So she stripped down to bare skin, leaving her clothes piled neatly not far from the shore and waded into the little stream, taking with her some of her homemade bathing supplies. Dunking her head underneath the clear water, she let the current take her hair a moment before breaching the water's surface with a sputtering cough. She wiped the water from her eyes and began her normal bathing routines.

There was contentment and joy in the simple act of cleaning herself, raking her fingers over her scalp to dislodge collected dirt and oil. The same treatment was given to her skin. She had no washcloth, having only two small hand towels. One for her and one for her patient, so instead she used her fingernails to scrub away the dirt, careful not to rub too hard lest she scratch herself. Every inch of her body she cleaned meticulously and though to some this would seem dull in its normalcy, there was an unconscious ritual to the act. It was more than just earthly dust and dirt she cleansed herself of. As she worked, she let herself fall into a mildly meditative state. With little effort she let go of her conscious thoughts, washing her mind of human concerns as she connected with the planet for the first time in days. Lulled by methodic routine her mind pushed back and met with the warming pulse of the planet. Her whole body relaxed as she listened to its melodic hum, a hum that became a joyous chorus of song. The planet reaching out with its many voices to greet its last heir.

To anyone who might have observed her at this moment, she would have looked for the entire world that she'd merely fallen asleep kneeling in the middle of an open stream. The sight was certainly odd and in the very back of her mind she was glad there was no one to see it. Her outward stillness hid the hub of activity of her mind. She was almost completely unaware of the world that turned around her, so completely wrapped within the planet's soft rhythm. It wound a harmonic melody 'round her, reflecting its feelings and thoughts through her, straight into her. The pulse of its heart told her of its fear for her. How it worried because she hadn't connected in such a long time and because it could feel the life force of the crisis spawn near her. It was relieved to find her alright but still concerned she hadn't fled from Jenova's puppet. The planet felt the taint of the crisis all over her; even now that she'd wash most of its blood from her skin.

They spoke of many things but both felt unwilling to breach this particular subject. For the planet knew through the openness of her thought that she felt as if she had to stay. Which was utter nonsense. She owed the demon nothing. All cetra had a natural need... no, an instinct to heal any creature in pain. It was something they couldn't ignore. No matter how fierce the creature, no matter if the healing caused their death. It was as much a part of them as the beating of their own heart and just as necessary.

However, this instinct did not extend to the spawn of their great enemy. The crisis was an abomination the cetra had rejected years ago for her crimes against all creation. It had come back and wreaked its revenge, driving the first people insane. Killing off the only beings in the universe that were so uniquely tied to creation and to the planet itself. Ever since the day of fire and madness the ever-dwindling descendants of the cetra feared and loathed the crisis and all it touched. The very presence of that monster in the tent should have overridden any need to heal him. Yet the girl had touched his blood without fear, looked on him without feeling the need to run. There was trepidation to be sure, but the planet was increasingly perplexed by her lack of terror. There were urgent questions that came from both of them but neither voiced. And the planet feared that history might repeat itself.

So they stuck to safer topics, albeit just as grim. Mostly, the planet told her of her final duty. Giving her instructions to the great city and what she was to do once she got there. It was a somber subject but there was so much she needed to know and little time. When she was in Midgar it was hard to connect with her properly and so she'd gone many years with only a vague idea of who she was and what she served. The last steward was terribly ignorant of her people's powers and traditions, but the planet would guide her as well as it could.

There was also quiet conversation about her surroundings. How much she enjoyed the sunsets here, the stars, the rippling tide of the long grass, the birds, all of nature's bounty that was new to her. The planet was glad that she'd finally left that dreadful city to experience the true glory of that which she served. As a cetra the wild places of the earth were her birthright, she belonged in the forest, the plains, the mountains. Not in the stilted fortresses of a city. Its buildings nothing more than over civilized bars on a giant birdcage. It was a fine place for humans, for they built cities for themselves but it was no place for a cetra. They should be free to travel to world as they pleased.

Aeris was innocently curious about everything and the planet delighted in answering her. She was its favorite child for this reason. Asking the planet the names of various plants she'd taken note of or animals she'd never seen. A question arose in the last steward's mind of where the best healing herbs might grow, because she was nearly out and her charge would need fresh ones if he were to recover further. The planet seemed reluctant to answer but after a bit of thought, it brought to her mind images of a nearby sacred place where herbs of good quality grew. The spot was a good forty-five minutes away but she was used to walking wherever she went. Living in Midgar without a car or bike meant that you took the subway and it rarely stopped right where you wanted it to. Quite often she'd found herself walking several city blocks because the subway didn't stop near her destination. Besides, a walk would do her good and she was excited by the visions the planet sent her.

It showed her the overgrown ruins of a temple, much like her own church at home. Broken statues littered the grounds and beneath them grew a great many plants she could use. Her little church had been the only sacred ground she'd even known. It pleased her to find another such spot, her joy growing as she realized that due to its distance from Midgar's taint the temple remained pure and unspoiled. Unlike her church, though it was holy ground, it was still marred by Midgar's unending darkness and she had tried hard to hold its fading light in. It had worked for a time but she was always bitterly disappointed with the growth rate of her plants. In this sagging temple she was delighted to find that she'd not only be able to stock up, but perhaps whatever she found here would be better than what she'd brought from home. This combined with the reminder of a place that had once been her only comfort made the trepidation of the last few days fall away.  It did sadden her that humans so easily forgot such places and abandoned them to time and the elements. But humans were never creatures with terribly long attention spans.

She smiled a little sorrowfully. Once she was gone, no one would remember such places. The planet nudged her mind to comfort it. Sending her pleasant waves of warmth and affection to sooth its last true child. It worked, her worries of the future were replaced by the wonder of what she might find there. This new sacred place might hold other mysteries besides just stronger healing herbs. Without real reason, her thoughts became anxious again, straying back to the platinum haired youth. She really ought to get back soon. Finding the right plants was tedious work and she was currently wasting a whole lot of time. The planet seemed distressed at her sudden urge to return to the stranger, asking her to stay longer but she knew she should be leaving. Though before she left she wanted to confirm with the planet that which she suspected already.

"Déesse?"

"Yes?"

"The young man I'm taking care of....I have a question."

She could almost hear the exasperated sigh, if the planet could be said to do such things, "Yes, we know. Ask what you will, last steward."

"Well, I...think...I'm...um..." she paused, becoming nervous now. Gathering her courage, she asked the planet in one long and hurried breath, "I'd like to know who he is. I know it's in your power to find out and it'd be so much easier when he wakes if I know. See, something about him makes me nervous and I'm not sure if it's because he's Shinra's great general or something else."

"He _is_ the general of all Shinra. L'ange du mort, Sephiroth." the planet paused in its song. The last steward seemed unhappy with the realization, as she should be. She was worried and fearful but not for the reasons she should be. "You fear him with the rationale of a mortal. His being Shinra, your recapture mean nothing. You should fear him for reasons beyond earthly concerns."

"Déesee, I don't understand."

"He carries in him the legacy of the calamity, his blood is tainted by her. He is her puppet and she will use or destroy you through him. It is best if you leave now."

Aeris was at a loss for words. She'd heard the planet talk about the crisis from the sky before but it had seemed like some kind of distant myth. A barrage of questions hit her mind and she wondered how she'd be able to express them in a short time. Seeing no logical way to do this, she resigned herself to sit and wait for the answer.

"Please, explain."

"You must confront the crisis. Seal her and heal our wound."

"Yes, I know all this. How does Sephiroth fit into it?"

"As we have said. He is infected by her, like some of your unfortunate ancestors were. Already she pulls him, drawing her strings tight. You know what your duty is. The crisis knows as well. Do you _really_ think she will just let you go to the white city and bring about her doom without a fight?"

Aeris thought long and hard for a moment. What the planet said was true. She could not deny it because the planet could _not_ lie to her. Yet, there was something off about all of this. When she'd first left Midgar the planet had indicated that things were happening too soon. That the lines of fate had tripped before it was truly time for her duty to be performed. If so, this meant that whatever plan Jenova had in store had also been set forth too soon and maybe, just maybe, she hadn't even begun her preparations. If true, this would mean that Sephiroth wasn't yet ensnared and there was a chance to pull him from her grasp. Moreover, Aeris couldn't believe he was a threat to her. True, she feared him but the look in his eyes when she first saw him were of exhausted relief. If she'd come to the camp of a known enemy only to fall unconscious, she'd hardly feel relieved. Beyond the natural terror of Jenova's taint, she'd felt no malice, no evil, emanating from him. Fatigue, pain, sorrow, loneliness, yes...she'd felt all those things but no malice. At least, none directed at her.

"We sense your thoughts, daughter. But it matters little."

"I'm sorry, Déesee. But I am inclined to disagree with you." Aeris replied, feeling a strong conviction that she was right about this. "My duty goes beyond just defeating the crisis and healing you. If by my actions, I can prevent an innocent from falling into darkness, I will."

"This one is anything but innocent. He is a killer."

"We are all killers, in our own way. Even you, Déesee. Innocence does not necessarily imply purity."

"Innocence by its very nature _requires_ purity."

"Nonsense, Déesee. I've never known you to think so linearly. He does not know what he is, what she wants with him. He lives in ignorance and that is enough to label him innocent." Her answer came smoothly and she was unconcerned that this knowledge came from nowhere.

"So you will attempt to save the irredeemable?"

"I _will_." she replied, her voice filled with iron determination. The tone so sure in its firmness that it startled the planet, a thing no living creature had ever done in its vast memory.

"So be it child. But I warn you, this is madness and will only end in more suffering."

She could feel the planet's presence seep from her mind and recede back into the depths of its heart. There was a lingering sense of disappointment that pervaded its feelings as it left, followed by a reaffirmation of its love and worry for her. The connection was severed and Aeris let out a minute gasp, lurching forward as her mind adjusted to the real world again. These transitions from the planet's reality to her own had always been hard. She had always found it difficult to describe the experience. It was like being drawn into a vast and unfathomable darkness but rather than fearing it, she welcomed it. It was the natural dark of night or the womb. Comforting and warm, it enveloped her being, making her feeling more complete than she'd ever felt on the planet itself. There was no pain nor was there sadness, only love and comfort given from the mother of all beings, from creation itself. This place it took her to she believed to be what heaven must be like.

The only drawback of her trips to the planet's heart was the exhaustion that followed it. Whatever spell they jointly used didn't affect the planet much but Aeris was a being of more limited power. She had to exact terrible effort on her part, taxing both mind and body to send herself into the core of the planet. On the occasions she did this, she was left feeling tired and headachy for the better part of a day. Groggily, Aeris opened her eyes, not really looking forward to all that she had to do feeling as she did but it couldn't be helped. She stretched and quickly dove under the water to refresh herself. Emerging moments later, her hair dripping down the length of her back. Wiping her forehead with an arm, she slicked back stray strands of hair before stopping to rub her temples in an attempt to fight off the burgeoning headache. With a final stretch and one wide yawn, she waded back to the shore. Her feet slapping loudly on rocks that littered the banks of the stream as she stood, shivering in the morning light.

She lamented then that she had no real towel to wrap herself in, looking down at the little scrap of a hand towel. It was barely big enough to wipe off her face properly but she had no room in her pack for a real towel. With a frown, she reached behind her and grabbed the heavy mass of hair and squeezed the water from it, shaking out the ends. Reaching into her small basket, she pulled out the hand towel and examined it fretfully before she began to use it to towel off as much moisture as she could. She made do and the little towel served its purpose as well as it could, which was not really all that well but it _was_ better than nothing.

After all her efforts, her skin was still damp, slick with a thin sheen of water when she slipped into her clothing. It was a trial pulling dry clothes over wet skin. Her undergarments in particular had proved problematic by bunching up as she pulled them on. Though the worst was her dress. Being a button up it hadn't been hard to get on but her damp skin stuck terribly to the cheap cotton fabric. More annoying than the uncomfortable stickiness was the way her hair had wetted the front and back of her dress. This dissatisfied her greatly and she wondered why she bothered to preserve the dryness of her clothes in the first place. There was nothing to do about it. What was done was done. Shrugging, she picked up her remaining belongings and headed in a westerly direction towards the temple the planet had showed her.

Picking her way through the underbrush, she walked a long forgotten path that followed the river. If she could have seen beneath the stagnant layers of leaves and pine needles, she would be able to view the remnants of a road. A road that once lead to a magnificent temple, that people far and wide had visited far in the past. Both the temple and the city had fallen and were left to be overtaken by the wilderness but the wide cut stone of its walkways remained. Forever forgotten by the relentless spinning hands of time. The walk was quiet and pleasant, greatly putting Aeris's heart at ease. The forest surrounding her consisted mainly of tall conifers. White pines by her closest guess. There was also a multitude of ferns, alongside the regular mixture of deciduous trees and underbrush. Aeris breathed in deeply, delighting in the fresh scent of the trees and the tangled streams of light that filtered softly through the forest canopy.

The sun had lifted itself higher into the sky, enough so that the birds hidden in the bowers of the trees began to wake. The occasional cheep she'd heard upon first waking became the normal cacophony of chitters and chirps. Lending a sense of life to the forest and letting Aeris know that the morning dreamtime was over. She guessed by the sun's position that it was around six thirty, meaning she had to increase her pace. It was important to keep her patient's medication schedule prompt, applying it at exactly the same time everyday. He was to receive his first poultice treatment by eight that morning and if she wished to keep on time, a spring in her step was needed.  She ignored the sights and sounds of the forest as best she could, promising herself to return later on to explore at a more leisurely pace. Nothing about the rest of the trip to the temple stood out. Other than the occasional fights with clumps of underbrush that constantly blocked her way. Pushing away a particularly nasty tangle of knotted overgrowth, she entered the temple's ground proper with a gasp.

The brush she'd just fought with had once been neatly trimmed bushes that had lined the red wooden arch that served as the sacred gateway to the temple. The arch was long gone, rotted away to dust and becoming mulch for the bushes that had once graced its side. The grounds themselves were a handful of buildings surrounded by long grass that towered over Aeris's head. On the right was a small stone platform that held the temple's large brass bell. The bell itself was gone and undoubtedly it had been either stolen by thieves or melted down and forged into something else. All that remained was the platform and the crumpled roof that once housed it.

To her direct left stood what was once a covered pavilion that was used for ceremonial purposes during festivals. Traditional dances, ritual ceremonies, and the occasional dramatic reenactment of ancient myths had played on the stage there. Aeris could almost see the throngs of people gathering around it excitedly. Buying charms from the nearby vendors that preyed on the pavilion's foot traffic--the large bell ringing the whole time, announcing the start of a ritual. She watched as the vision from the past rose and then fell, the present pushing forward over the waves of ancient memory. The pavilion falling into disrepair before her eyes, watching the wooden roof and stage rot away, leaving the stone pillars that supported them as lonely sentinels to a bygone age. Directly in front of her was a broken set of stone stairs that led to the main temple.

Carefully, she picked her way through the festival grounds, feeling drawn towards the furthest side of the temple grounds. Obliviously passing over an old bonfire pit, wild grass growing over the blackened earth and if one looked carefully, leftover bits of the pyres that burned there could be found as evidence of the life this place bustled with. Slowly she made her way, past the buildings the temple priests once lived in--now nothing more than soft indentations in the earth. They flanked the stone pathway and like much of what was left here, you would not know it was there unless you really looked. She reached the stairs, which were in a terrible state of disrepair. The stones which had at one time had been set in neat and orderly rows, were in such disarray as to be almost completely useless and non-functional. The large blocks of brick were now arranged haphazardly, bucking and sticking out at odd angles, as if broken apart by the violent quaking of the earth. She navigated the mire of upturned bricks with uncommon grace, hopping from stone to stone with little effort.

At the top, she gasped once more. Already this place had impressed her. For Aeris, being attuned to the planet as she was, the past would occasionally flow upwards. Hinting to her what this place looked like at during its golden age, when it was still a relevant part of the world. A functioning arm of civilization, which by mortal forgetfulness had crumbled to dust but all the same, to her it seemed austere and beautiful in its own strange way. There was an aura of faded glory and pervading peace and she felt completely welcomed by it. She'd been puzzled at first, because often such places wanted to be forgotten and visiting them tended to awaken powers or spirits who were less than happy to be disturbed by the nosey gaze of mortals. However, this place seemed almost overjoyed at her arrival, as if it had been waiting for her. She now saw why.

At the apex of the stairs were the main temple grounds, which looked as if they were completely untouched by time. Far in the distance, she could see the towering peaks of the temple itself but directly in front of it was a tiled plaza and in the middle of that plaza was an enormous tree. It was over seven stories tall, its bark a deep red that contrasted with its dark green leaves. She had remembered her mother talking of trees such as this. Their roots dug deeply into the earth, so far that they connected with the planet itself. It lent them an unnaturally long life and it was said that the planet blessed them with power of their own. Her people had called such trees Sequoia; a name, which loosely translated meant trees that speak with the wisdom of the planet.

A large red length of rope had been tied around the wide trunk of the tree. Small bits of folded paper had been tied to the rope and they flickered slightly in the summer breeze. She'd seen such ropes before; they were a common way of marking a particular natural wonder as a vessel for the gods. Those ropes indicated that this tree was sacred. Most of the time, such trees were merely those that were long lived or the blood of some long dead hero had been split underneath them. Hardly an indicator that there was anything really holy about them, they were marked more out of a respect for the unique qualities they were perceived to possess.

This tree, however, was in actuality sacred, flowing from root to branch with divine power. Without hesitation, she moved towards the tree with a look of awestruck wonder. It towered over her, its height enough to rival the famous Shinra tower itself. Reaching its side, she was a mere speck in comparison with its grandeur. She reached out and set a hand on the smooth red bark, smiling as she felt a tingling warmth spread through her flesh. Aeris closed her eyes contentedly, never in her life had she expected to actually see much less touch a Sequoia. It was a rare honor.

In touching it, she came into direct contact with the ancient power that had once resided in this place. Now it was all but gone, a shadow of memory. The only thing holding time at bay from this part of the temple was the tree itself. She sensed its memories and how it had held on to them for all these years for a specific purpose. It had been waiting for her. She realized then that it had been the Sequoia who'd sent her those visions from the past earlier and not the planet. It had used her connection to the planet to direct her, to show her the importance this place once held. There was something here of relevance to her, something it had wanted her to see. Something she _needed_ to see.

Aeris's eyes flew open, her heart quickening. The tree had wanted to show her that this place was more than just another temple. More than just another piece of holy ground randomly picked by mortal whim. The ground she now stood on was truly blessed by the gods--and powerful gods at that. Somehow they had known she would come here or perhaps they hoped. Perceiving that mortals would forget this place, they charged the tree with holding onto the temple's power until she arrived. Why, Aeris couldn't guess. Perhaps they'd hoped to help her along on her journey, giving her knowledge of her heritage that would be vital to completing her task. The planet _had _said that there was much she had yet to learn. However, now was not the time for the dissemination of knowledge. She had a patient to look after.

Not wishing to offend the tree, she asked as politely as possible, "I'm sorry I haven't much time now. I promise I'll return with a proper offering...but I humbly ask if I might take some herbs and medicinal plants from your temple?"

The branches above her rustled, sounding very much to her ears as if the tree was laughing at her. It indicated that she should make herself at home here, that this was a place where she belonged and that she was welcome to take what she pleased. Slipping her hand from the bark, she closed her eyes and clapped twice before bowing low in thanks for the Sequoia's generosity. It shook its bowers again, this time seeming as if it was wishing her well. _Luck to you in finding what you seek. See you soon_. It seemed to say.

Aeris grinned before returning the way she'd came, back to the parts of the temple that had faded with time. Picking through the overgrown grounds, she had quickly found everything she needed. She'd hoped to concoct a more powerful tincture to use on her ward. The poultice was simply not working as fast as it should have been. She'd thought long and hard, wishing she had her books from home with her. If she did, she'd be able to identify exactly what had poisoned him, making treatment much easier. As it was, she had gone with a rather general treatment, a simple poultice to suck the poison from the wound. This morning she had thought to try an experiment. If a malboro had poisoned him, it was no wonder that the treatment she'd prescribed hadn't worked. Malboro poison itself was a neurotoxin with clot inhibiting properties, it also had the nasty habit of absorbing itself so deep into the tissue that removing it with normal methods only spread it further into the system. She would have to fight the poison with another poison to see any real results

 Ideally, she'd have used a tincture that included malboro poison, but being that she didn't have access to it she'd have to settle for the next best thing. Jimson Weed, also known as deadly nightshade, fireweed or the devil's trumpet, was a rather well known and easy to find plant, and quite poisonous. The weed had many of the same qualities that made the malboro's poison so deadly, though it did need to be augmented. There were other ingredients that she gathered that would help in removing the poison's hold on his system as well as ease his pain. And pain relief would be necessary, despite the fact that he was unconscious. The cure would be almost worse than the cause. It was really a last ditch effort, the kind of treatment she'd tried to avoid because there was inherent danger in it. Get the mix wrong and you could end up killing the patient but what choice did she have left but a blind gamble? Sighing, Aeris collected all that she had needed and headed back to camp.

She broke away from the wash of remembrance. Nothing in the morning's events had led to this moment. Her encounters with the Sequoia and her conversation with the planet had been strange but at the same time, neither exchange had any connection to whatever had passed between them. The planet sent another wave of concern to her, finally answering her urgent calls. "_Déesee, what was that power...those memories_?" she whispered to it. The planet this time used no words, indicating to her that a wandering spirit had just used them as vessels for lingering emotions. It was a common occurrence and nothing to worry about, at least in comparison to the green-eyed terror that stood expectantly before her. This answer quieted her own concern somewhat, but there was deep-seated doubt that surfaced within her but she had no time to ponder this feeling. She was wrenched from this thought by the feeling of cold steel against her throat. Her breath left her as she gazed at the long blade of his sword. She followed the edge, carefully lifting her head to gaze into eyes of angry jade fire. Where had the sword come from? She'd remembered quite clearly that he'd dropped it.

"I asked you a question." he said, his tone oh-so-quiet and completely without emotion.

Aeris inhaled deeply in an effort to maintain calm. All that time wasted and still no answer. What could she tell him? Her mind raced, trying desperately to come up with something, anything, to diffuse the situation. Nothing came. Her mind was a total and complete blank; all thought was discarded for fear. She couldn't help it, she began to tremble and the beginnings of tears formed in her eyes. The planet rose up, giving her strength and though she still shook, Aeris felt a bit braver knowing that she wasn't alone. When all else fails, she'd always relied on the simple truth.

Barely able to hold his gaze but unable to look away, she replied with surprising calm, "I've done nothing."

"You lie." was his answer, his voice was quiet and deep and very cold...and with barely a blink of an eye, he rested the blade against her neck, just enough so she could feel how sharp it was, how easily it could split her flesh.

"No, I don't." She said simply, her breaths coming in quick and hard. Her entire body shook and she was afraid, but she would not beg for her life nor would she lie to save it.

He considered this, watching her carefully with narrowed eyes as if measuring her. She held his gaze, her wide emerald eyes trailing his every movement. The planet's words came rushing back to her now. _This one is anything but innocent. He is a killer_. Yes, she could see it now, maybe she always could and she'd overlooked it in her rush to heal his wounds. The man that stood before her had killed before and without remorse. He was quite capable and more than willing to kill her right now and as his sword left her neck, she wondered why he hesitated.

"Explain."

Aeris was confused by his statement, more confused by his actions, "What would you like me to explain?"

"If it wasn't you that cast that spell...than who was it?" He replied, his impatience was obvious and so was his growing fatigue.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, it was easier to explain nothing than to try and lead him along while she spoke of things he had no conception of.

He paced back and forth, gazing at her with eyes still bright with anger. Her answer had dissatisfied him. She observed that he seemed to be a man who didn't tolerate the more vague and imprecise things in life. Pleading ignorance in the end was better than trying to explain to him the mysteries of the planet, yet she felt guilty for bending the truth. True, she didn't know exactly who had cast that spell, if it was a spell at all but she did have some idea of what happened. In the end, there was no way she could explain things to him without sounding like she was lying or out right crazy, despite the fact that it would be the complete truth. Yes, pleading ignorance was better. Aeris swallowed hard as she watched him as he paused in his stalking to regard her once more with suspicion.

"I think you do. I think you know _exactly_ what happened." the words were so soft but the malice within them was unmistakable, "You have nothing to gain by deceiving me. You did something. Cast some spell. Tell me _now_...what was it?"

She was startled and it was all she could do to stammer out a response, "I-I haven't done anything."

His lips curled up slightly in a decidedly unfriendly smile, "Really...I beg to differ."

The sword was at her throat again, cutting sharply into the flesh. A thin line of blood trailed from her neck and down her breast. She stiffened, unable to stop herself from gasping sharply. Looking into his eyes she saw that this time there would be no hesitation. He would kill her and he would enjoy it. Her hands balled into fists at her side and she prayed to the planet, begging it to give her strength. She was so tired and she hurt all over, and worst of all, she couldn't think of how she was to get out of this. The planet helped by soothing her, calming her mind enough to clear her thoughts. The lines of exhaustion had spread on his face and she realized it was taking every bit of energy he had to stand there. As strong as he was, he did have limits and they could be tested. Inspiration came and almost instantaneously her fear was banished as she resolved to stall him.

"Don't be ridiculous. You've been unconscious for three days. If I really wanted to do something to you, I've had _plenty_ of opportunity." she replied smoothly, her head tipping up a little with defiance, "You owe me your life, you know."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You were half dead when I found you." she spoke slowly, watching him closely and noting with some satisfaction that he'd wavered on his feet,  "You were wounded badly...and poisoned...by a malboro, I think...."

"And...." he began, stopping as a wave of agony hit him before continuing once it'd passed, "How do you come by this knowledge?"

"I'm a healer...poisoning isn't exactly my specialty but I have been trained to identify the most common types. Were you attacked by a malboro?" she asked, almost conversationally as if she didn't have a large and dangerous sword pressed to her neck.

"No." he said flatly, plainly annoyed by her seemingly pointless question.

"That's strange. Because your symptoms very much resemble the effects of its toxin, though I suppose it could be something else. Or perhaps the poison was modified somehow Anyway, it's been hard to get rid of...there were a couple of times when I was close to loosing you. It's mostly been cleaned from your body but there's still a little left. You should still be feeling some side effects. Cramping, blurred vision...and vivid hallucinations..." She paused, her voice trailing off softly as she watched his reaction closely, waiting to see what he'd do at the suggestion.

His tight control wavered as it had before, the reign he held over his body was becoming shakier by the moment. She could see on his face that he was straining to maintain in command of his own body and his attempts to hide his current weakness were nothing more than acts of desperation on his part. Up until that point his stance had be dangerously fluid, likened to a snake that was ready to strike at any moment. As the minutes passed and she rambled on he became weaker. Now, his legs were shaking so badly that they barely held him up. The curious effects of the poison sapping his strength and as he visibly lost control before her eyes, Aeris felt the power shift in her direction.

"So...You think I dreamed what you did to me?" He replied thickly, the lilt of sarcasm in his voice overshadowed by a sluggish, poison-borne drawl.

"No. Hallucinated. And how many times do I have to tell you I didn't DO anything." She said, pointedly correcting his error, "You might want to sit down. The toxin seems to spread with too much excess activity."

He glared at her then, his ire seeming to have cooled though his sword still hovered near her exposed neck as if poised to strike. His gaze was contemplative and Aeris could almost see the gears working in his head. What she'd told him was the truth, though not the truth in its entirety. The toxin was known to cause rather frightening hallucinations and the foolhardy had often sought out malboro tentacles for their psychotropic properties. Of course, whatever had happened had nothing to do with his poisoning and it frightened Aeris that she had to lie about it. Inwardly, she cursed, "_Stupid wandering spirits_." They'd really put her into a bind. She was walking a moral tightrope right now and her balance was becoming increasingly unsure as he continued to stare at her. His scrutiny was unbearable, his eyes saw too much--piercing her very soul. More than that, she'd never had a man look at her like that, with such intense concentration, as if he was taking in every minute detail. It was disconcerting and aggravating at the same time, she was torn between shouting at him to stop staring at her or...."_Or WHAT_?" she thought to herself irritably, forcibly reminding herself that he still held a weapon to her neck.

Slowly, he lifted the sword so that it no longer was at her neck and with a quick movement; he sheathed it and tilted his head ever so slightly as he continued to measure her. He opened his mouth as if to say something but instead he lurched suddenly and his face crumpled as waves of pure pain hit him. Tight lines of agony were carved into his visage as a series of cramps engulfed him, setting his nerves on fire in a spiraling wave of agonized torture. Every muscle in his body strained visibly and he shook violently as his body was pushed beyond even his considerable his pain threshold. His face relaxed and he looked up at her tiredly, his cheeks flaring bright red with fever, eyes bloodshot.

The poison was relentless; it surged through his body, tensing the muscles, assaulting his nerve endings. Waves of cramps hit him and his entire body shuddered, unable to fight off the toxins that attacked his tissue. Once again, his sword clattered to the ground and this time his owner was taken with it. His knees buckled but at the last minute he caught himself, hands flying out just in time to prevent him from hitting solid earth. He knelt on the ground, his breath coming in harsh rasps. Another spasm hit, his fingers dug into the dirt beneath him and he seemed to turn inward on himself. His forehead touched the ground as he crumpled into a ball on the bare earth, his obvious agony becoming almost hard to watch. 

She turned away and slowly inched backwards from the spectacle in front of her. During the entire time, he'd made no sound other than his labored breathing. Aeris couldn't help but be impressed, if it was her she'd be screaming and praying for her own death. He'd had similar attacks over the last few days and it had puzzled her. Cramping was not one of the symptoms of malboro poisoning. Her curiosity with this inconsistency didn't stop her from wanting a quick exit while he was occupied with his own pain. The planet was urging her to run now, it connection was no longer tentative. It came in blindingly clear, its one message that this was her last chance to save herself. Her heart pounding, she looked back at her patient or as the planet viewed him, her enemy.

Just as suddenly as the attack had started, it stopped. Sound returned to the world and Aeris found herself unconsciously sucking in air hurriedly as she paused to gaze at his prone form. He didn't move and the only thing that told her he was still alive was the slight movement of his chest as he breathed. Everything that had happened hit her all at once. The fear she'd suppressed came back and she let out a small, terrified sob. She continued to back away, scrambling to her feet as hysterical tears flowed down her cheeks. How could things go so wrong so suddenly? Raising a trembling hand to the wound on her neck, she tried her best to reign herself in. Swiftly she turned and recovered her basket, which she'd dropped in all the confusion not far away.

She took one last look at her patient, still lying quietly on the ground before she turned and walked away at a brisk pace. Her ankle had been twisted when he'd thrown her to the ground and though she wished she could run, she was unable to move any faster. As she limped away, she summoned a quick curative spell to heal the cut on her neck and to ease the pain in her ankle to make walking a bit easier. Pulling her hand away, the wound was now closed but still raw. It had been a relatively shallow cut but in the back of her mind she worried that it'd leave a scar. She also found herself worrying about the bloodstains on her dress. Lamenting that she had no time to retrieve her pack and her only other change of clothes. At the pace she was setting, she wouldn't be far enough away if she stopped for anything. Though ill, it was obvious that Sephiroth possessed inhuman strength and she didn't want to be here if and when he awoke. Such thoughts were trivial but she couldn't stop herself, her mind was too overloaded with adrenaline to think clearly. Just as she was about to increase her pace she heard it. A soft moan, so low she could barely hear it.

She closed her eyes tightly and whispered, "I didn't hear that. I didn't hear that. I did NOT hear that. Didn't hear it."

While she whispered this mantra, it came again. A low and pain filled groan, followed by sounds of him trying to get up and failing with a hard thump. By this time, she'd stopped walking entirely, her back turned to him. Her eyes were still closed, squeezed so firmly shut that small tears welled at the edges. Fiercely she denied the urge to turn and look at him, balling her fists at her sides until the knuckles whitened. If she looked, she'd stay and she couldn't stay. He was dangerous. He tried to kill her. She argued with her instinct, she wanted to turn around no matter how much she tried to deny it.

That strange calm came to her at that moment. It was the same eerie calm that had come to her when the wandering spirit had entered her before. Memories came, unbidden and from a source unknown. Images of places she'd never visited, people she'd never seen. He was there, Sephiroth. It was him and not him at the same time. _Tristan_...the name came again from the depths of her being. She knew him in another life, as another person. It tied her to him and all thought--all feeling pulled her towards him. Was this wandering spirit playing more games with her? Showing her flickers of its past, of things it left undone in an attempt to plead with her to resolve their unfinished business?

No. The answer came quickly and clearly. It had to be more than just an idle spirit, for this feeling welling within her was so much more powerful than a spectral force could invoke. It was a song deep within her that had been longing for release; unconsciously she'd done just that. The song she'd sung prior to meeting him, she'd never heard it before. It was in cetran, a language she didn't speak. Yet the words flowed from her with ease and it had been that which awakened this latent power. A power that though it was connected to the planet, was all her own. Every fiber of her being tingled and she relinquished herself to it, setting the song loose as she had before. This time it didn't leave, as it had before, the power stayed within, guiding her. He was dangerous, yes. But he had hesitated, lowered his sword. Meaning he was still himself and she belonged at his side.

The planet surged forward in its own song, begging her to leave--to ignore the call of her instinct. It hummed resonantly to go forward and not look back, to leave the demon spawn to die. Never had the planet's thoughts been so cruel. It countered that life in this plane of existence was often cruel. Mortal life had never been easy and sometimes it came down to such simple concepts as eat or be eaten. Fight or flight. Life or death. It tried to reason with her, that she was its last shepherd. Her life was more important than his; she was the only one who could heal it. While he only lived to destroy, such was the will of Jenova and he'd been born to serve it. The life of this one meant little in the face of the millions who'd suffer if she failed. She knew there was truth in these words but there was also a callousness she was unwilling to accept.

That he was tainted by the crisis, there was no doubt but she _knew_ he wasn't beyond saving. There was more than just a good chance to tear him from her grasp and she would take it. To deny her enemy its avatar and in turn gain a powerful ally was in her mind a just cause. Aeris had prided herself on being a compassionate soul and to do as the planet bid was against her very nature. This part of her character had gotten her through her bitter years in Midgar, a city that tended to turn people's hearts to stone. This internal war between her own doubts, the planet and her boundless compassion raged, with no real sign of any kind of resolution. If she stayed, her life may be in danger. If she left, she'd have the death of a man, innocent or not, on her hands. Moreover, she felt deep in her heart that somehow they were connected, as inexplicable as it sounded.

Her eyes snapped open and a nowhere wind swirled around her fragile form as she cut off her connection to the planet with a brutal push of her will. What it asked her to do wasn't right. She understood why it had asked her to leave and she did not blame the planet for being so unkind. Jenova was in part responsible for the state it was in now. But Sephiroth was not Jenova, he was human--altered--but still human; he'd never asked to be infected by her. Whether he'd been born that way or if it had been another of ShinRa's careless experiments into things they didn't comprehend, she didn't know nor did she care. Either way, this infection was not his fault. The crisis had already taken too much of the planet her ancestors had worked hard to build. She would NOT let it take anything more. Especially the life of an innocent.

She approached Sephiroth's crumpled body as it lay on the ground, taking each step as if it were her last. Taking a deep breath, she strode towards him, trying her best not to feel the terror that lurked within. She slowed as she reached his side, her steps becoming careful, hesitant. He lay on slumped on his side, one arm lay limply on the ground, and the other was curled underneath him at his side. His face was obscured by the fall of his long, pale hair, which spilled out around him like a river of silver. With careful grace, she knelt next to him and swallowed hard as she reached out. Aeris bit her lip, pushing back stray strands of her own hair. Another long, calming breath and she gently nudged him with one hand. Nothing. There was a moment where she thought to cast some kind of sleep spell on him but she decided it'd be better not to. She'd never liked those kinds of spells anyway, and it seemed especially low to put someone to sleep without their consent.

Pushing back the tangled strands of his hair, she noted with concern and a bit of annoyance that his fever was back. The last two days he'd been free of it but with all the activity, it looked as if the fight to keep him from overheating was joined once more. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she realized she'd have to get him out of the sun. It wasn't doing him any good and being that he'd managed to collapse in the middle of the camp, rather than the tent, she'd have to move him. She scowled and bit back the urge to give him a kick in the pants for all the trouble he'd caused her. Without further ado, she went and grabbed her own sleeping bag and unzipped it, laying it out neatly near him. Breathing in deeply, she knew full well that what she had to do next was not going to be easy.

She grabbed him underneath his arms and with every last bit of energy she had, she pulled him onto her sleeping bag. He was quite heavy, out weighing her by at least sixty-five pounds, if not more. Not to mention the vast difference in height. It didn't help that she still wasn't feeling well due to her earlier mediation with the planet. With much effort, she struggled with his bulk until she'd gotten him onto the sleeping bag. Pushing him onto it so that his head and exposed chest were firmly in the middle. Using the bag as a makeshift stretcher, she pulled him over to the tent.

It took longer than she thought it would. She had to stop several times, as the effort was too hard on her. Living her entire life in Midgar, it wasn't like she got a chance to engage in any kind of sustained aerobic activity. She was thin, pale and unused to heavy labor, as any flower girl would be. Ten minutes later and she was no closer to the tent. Grunting and sweating, she pulled him ever closer. Annoyed as hell that he kept falling off the damned sleeping bag, tiredly she stopped for a moment to regain her breath. Inhaling and exhaling heavily, she knuckled her back with one hand.

"Why'd you have to be so heavy?" she asked him breathlessly.

After this brief respite, she picked up the ends of her sleeping bag with a grunt and resumed dragging him. A full fifteen minutes passed and she'd finally made her way, laboriously, to the tent. Every movement she made conveyed how exhausted she was. Long gone was any show of grace, all that was left was clumsy determination. She wrestled her way into the tent, somehow managing to drag him in with her. Grabbing him underneath his arms again, she pulled him into the tent. With one last push she maneuvered him onto his sleeping bag and for an embarrassing moment, her strength had failed her and she'd collapsed on top of him momentarily. Her cheeks blushed bright red and she quickly rolled off of him, laying on the bare tent floor next to him.

She rested there for a few minutes, covering her eyes with one arm. The headache that had threatened to show itself blossomed; she could feel it beating at her temples. Gods, she was tired. She was more than tempted to just lay here and sleep but there was still so much to do. As she got up, she resisted the urge to cry out of sheer frustration. How did she always get herself into these situations? The answer of course was her damned compassionate streak and her hopeless habit of taking in and nursing strays back to health. Once she'd brought home stray cats, now stray generals. The thought made her giggle and was enough to put a dent in her somber mood, but not enough to dissuade her from feeling helpless and alone.

She sighed with resignation and got up, trying not to feel the aches and pains that wracked her body. Trying not to feel how tired she was, how afraid--how completely and utterly confused she was. Instead of thinking on these things, she banished them with the business of making Sephiroth well again. This day, more than any before it, threatened to be the longest day in her life. Stretching her hands above him, she prepared to call upon this new well of power. From the depths of her heart, she summoned a powerful healing spell that she'd used before, but never so powerfully. It'd been tailored to specifically remedy the effects of poisons. She and the planet had worked on it together when she was helping her mother to recover from her illness. Being a cetra had its advantages; there were some spells she didn't have to use materia for. This was one of them.

Materia based spells relied on the natural energy captured within the orb to cast the spell. All it took to release it was a bit of will power and a specific incantation. To cast this spell, however, took more effort. She had to rely on her own power, siphoning the strength in her own body to effectively cast the spell. Usually, she tried not to cast these homemade spells too often. They taxed her terribly and in normal circumstance, she'd have avoided casting it as compromised as she was already. But this new power that surged through her, lent her confidence and renewed strength.

Arms stretched and hands clasped, she gathered her power into her palms. A gust of unseen wind whipped through the tent, swirling around Aeris's stiffly meditating form. Her bangs flickered with it, stray tendrils of auburn hair wavering over her face. Even her large braid was lifted by it, until it undulated in midair. A bright orb of pure white light gathered in her palm the entire time, illuminating the entire tent with pulsing energy. This energy summoned smaller orbs of light that curled up from underneath her. They joined with the wind, swirling and dancing in it until they were no longer just orbs, but luminescent ribbons. Her eyes opened at that moment, their color more vibrant than they'd ever been, eyes, so emerald green and full of life itself, seeming to draw from the earth its very breath. She turned her wrists over, her hands followed the motion and with one graceful gesture she dispersed the ball of light into the air, sending the spell forth with a push of will and directing it as it spun from her to Sephiroth. Trailing ribbons of light enveloped him and with a surge of light, they were absorbed into his body.

Aeris watched tiredly as the spell did what she willed, her arms still stretched over him. She smiled as she felt it working, pushing back the toxin enough to relieve his pain, at least temporarily and bring him back to consciousness. Too tired to fear the possible danger in his waking, she stayed thus as she gauged his recovery. Without warning, a hand snapped up and grabbed her by the wrist, eliciting a startled cry from her. His eyes opened slightly, blinking lazily, his gaze was unfocused as he turned to regard her. Slowly, recognition dawned and he stared at her, eyes still partially closed. He said nothing for quite some time, preferring to merely watch her.

".......why?" he asked, his voice slurred and barely audible.

His face betrayed his bewilderment and Aeris realized he was still somewhat delirious. Opening and closing his eyes languidly, he let go of her wrist and reached out towards her. Touching the wound on her neck gently. The suddenness of it startled her and she jumped back. Many emotions stirred within her, but what she felt most strongly, was confusion. This was not what she had expected. She'd thought he'd awaken much like he had before. Instead, he reached for her again, touching the wound lightly with his fingers. This time, she let him, heart beating furiously as she wondered what in the hell was going on. His eyes opened more fully and she noticed for the first time their color--their eerie glow. They held her, suspended her in the moment and she felt as if she'd never breath again. He mumbled something that sounded like I'm sorry, but it was so garbled she was unable to tell.

She was about to ask him to repeat that last bit when he moaned and turned. His eyes closing like a pair of drawn curtains, shutting himself off to the world and to her as his hand slipped back to his side. Aeris sat there for several stunned minutes before shaking herself of her confusion. His actions, though befuddling and unpredictable, meant little at the moment. She'd let him rest and set about mixing up the Jimson Weed she'd collected earlier.

Déesee--French for Goddess


	6. She's an Angel

_I found out she's an angel_

_I don't think she knows I know_

_I'm worried that something might happen to me_

_If anybody ever finds out_

_Why, why did they send her over anyone else?_

_How should I react? These things happen to other people._

_They don't happen at all, in fact. _

_--They Might Be Giants_

Gray hued awareness slowly pushed him forward and dizzily he awoke from muffled unconsciousness. Everything hurt, that was no surprise but he was annoyed at how much it affected him. He'd learned long ago how to forge past the pain but those tactics seemed not to work anymore. Something about his current condition had overwhelmed his normally limitless reserve of strength. He was exhausted, tired of fighting the burning in his nerve endings and the cramps that shuddered through his body. It felt like he'd gone back in time somehow and he was that helpless child, unable to deal with the pain.

It was so warm, his cheeks burned with the heat of his fever. The world around him was blurry an indistinct. He was having trouble seeing and hearing, and all he could do was lay there, his head lolling back and forth. The anger came, how he hated feeling weak and vulnerable. He didn't care if it killed him, he'd get up and end this. This would be like any other injury in his past; he would fight it as he always had. Each breath came with difficulty as he tried to sit up, growling with annoyance when his body simply wouldn't obey. He struggled to force it to do his will, his mind screaming at his useless limbs to move. Gasping, he fell back onto the soft surface he was laying on, fatigued by that small amount of effort, he lay there breathing heavily as if he'd just completed a marathon.

His exhausted senses registered the sound of someone moving towards him, drawn to his side by the sounds of his waking. It made him pause, reflecting on what he could remember of the last moments before he collapsed. The girl. Narrowing his eyes, Sephiroth once more resumed his efforts to raise himself. He would not appear weak in front of her, the little witch. It pained him, but he forced his back to rise, his face contorting in agony as he tried to sit. His caretaker saw this and gave an amused chuckle. Sephiroth opened his eyes, aggravated that even something as simple as sitting up took such effort. Worse, that someone had seen that it'd taken effort and was amused by it. He fell back again, grunting in frustrated defeat, only managing to fix a brief, half-lidded glower at the one who mocked him so openly.

"_Damn her_..." he cursed inwardly, watching her watching him.

She looked down at him, her pretty face full of wry amusement at his predicament. He put all his remaining energy into a glare that would still her heart but instead, it came out looking more pathetic than threatening -- closer to a tired plea for help than anything else. This caused the girl's expression to soften and her smile became more sympathetic and less scornful. Which confused and angered Sephiroth. He didn't want her help much less her pity. He'd always relied on his will and his strength and despite his previous failures or perhaps because of them, he ordered his recalcitrant limbs to obey. Managing to pull himself up part way, nearly into a sitting position. Every muscle in his body objected to this, aching all at once. A sharp pain lanced through his skull as he pulled himself upwards, but he ignored it, past caring.

This girl was strange and she made him feel uncomfortable. It was like she could look through him somehow. The more time he spent in her presence, the more he noticed it. He thought that the connective feeling he'd experienced before had left, but it hadn't. It only seemed to strengthen and it frightened him, though he'd never admit it to the girl who sat in front of him. He was tired and he couldn't pin point his feelings adequately but...she seemed to be hiding something. She had been telling the truth about not being the cause of whatever had connected them, but she did know something. And for reasons unknown, she held this back. A mysterious aura surrounded her, so bright he could almost see it. He was aware that he was suffering from a terrible fever and maybe he was just delusional, imaging things that weren't there. Yet, he got the distinct impression that underneath her fair exterior lay a well of untapped power.

Maybe she didn't know...but how could she not? She _was _naive...as he debated this, a wave of sudden nausea overwhelmed him and any other thoughts had abruptly ceased. Sephiroth closed his eyes to ward it off, feeling miserable and angry with himself. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her hands on his chest. She had seen his discomfort and to his complete surprise, she'd taken it upon herself to aid him once more. Her touch was feather light, undemanding, as she guided his wavering form back to his sick bed. He would have struck out at her, pushed her away, but he was far too exhausted and weak. Instead, he begrudgingly accepted her assistance. Allowing her to guide him down to rest on the sleeping bag underneath him--he had little choice in the matter after all. He was entirely dependant on her and it enraged and frustrated him to realize this. There was no way for him to stop her. He couldn't even stop himself from showing his frustration, as his emotions flickered freely on his face. He struggled against her hold; it was the only small way he had to protest what she was doing to him. It was pure spite that drove him now, and it didn't matter to him how many times he failed. He would not let her win.

Her hand still resting on his chest, she gazed at him with obvious empathy and inexplicably, he stilled his movement to gaze back at her. She spoke to him in a motherly tone that was commanding and gentle at the same time. "Stop fighting me.... You need to rest."

Their eyes had locked and at first he favored her with a look of confusion. This melted and burned into a more sour expression. His eyes blazing with contempt for the girl, letting all his anger seep through them. Directing all the hate he had at her. The expression only made him look more haggard, highlighting the bruised circles under his eyes and the deathly lack of color in his cheeks. This only made things worse. She gave him a pained look of open pity, a small, sad sigh escaping her lips. His lip curled slightly into a snarl. He wished he could slap that expression off her face. "_Damn her_"...he cursed again, before tearing his gaze away from hers.

She shook her head at this and turned to grab a wet washcloth. Noticing the slick of sweat over his fevered brow, and knowing that his temperature had to be kept down. With a welcoming smile, she turned back to him and began to wipe his face with it. The coolness of the towel against his heated flesh was sweet relief, despite the fact that it was the girl who held it. The girl who was once again helping him. For a while, he refused to acknowledge her, stubbornly staring at the wall of the tent. As he did, it occurred to him that he'd collapsed outside and he wondered briefly how he'd come to be here. She must have...the thought startled him and he turned back to gaze at her. Sephiroth watched her carefully, his eyes widening with wonder at this slip of a girl. He didn't understand her in the least and he was discomfited that she'd show him kindness, in spite of his harsh treatment of her. She seemed to not notice this, preferring to hum quietly to herself as she worked.

His eyes never left her, not trusting that she meant him no harm, because no one had touched him who didn't hurt him in some way. He stared disbelievingly at her compassion, confused by the lack of malice in her movement. The way she touched him was unlike anything he'd experienced before; so different from the way almost everyone had ever treated him. Towel in hand, she gently wiped his cheeks. The soft fabric smoothing the flesh, clearing it of the sticky heat that covered it and replacing discomfort with cool relief. She moved to his forehead, he could feel her small fingers through the fabric of the towel. From his forehead, she moved to his caress his brow, then his nose and finally his lips. He blinked, his heart was beating furiously, out of fear and another emotion that he quickly strangled and buried before he could acknowledge it.

It was then that she chose to notice he had been watching her like a hawk. Her hand slipped from his cheek, where she last rested the ceaselessly moving towel, to his neck and he shivered at the contact. He wished that she would stop, even lowering himself to beg the gods above to make her stop. The girl gave him another smile; this one was warmer and more genuine than the others she gave him. With great tenderness, she reached up and pushed back his matted hair before continuing her ministrations.

What he saw in her eyes startled him, she understood--somehow she knew how uncomfortable this made him. And with her eyes, she apologized that she had to do this to him, with her eyes she told him this was necessary. He didn't care, his own eyes lighting with venom that she'd continue to do what caused him obvious discomfort. Her hands were all over him, and she was always so damned gentle. Who was she? Why was she...Damn her, what gave her the right to do this to him? These questions ran through his mind, setting it on fire with righteous indignation. It was now more than a mere wish, he wanted her to stop and if he had the strength, he would have made her. Her touch was repugnant to him and he was tormented now, because it was also pleasurable. It was too much for him to bear and he was unable to slap her hands away, so he tried another tactic.

"S-Stop it..." he meant it to come out as a direct order, to have all the cold malice in his voice that he'd normally muster. Instead, it came out low and pathetically weak, and he cursed himself once more.

She shook her head with a light, dismissive laugh. As if to say, '_You couldn't stop me, even if you wanted to_'.

His consciousness slipped, his vision irised out in a hexfield of black nothingness. The world continued on without him and through his half sleep he could still hear it but was happily unable to react. Birds sang. The trees rustled in the wind. The girl moved quietly beside him, the pleasantly monotonous sound of a grinding stone accompanying her every movement. Curious, he opened his eyes into lidded slits, looking at her with wet, bleary eyes. Her form was a blob of shapes and after a moment, his vision focused and he could see her more clearly. She had a mortar and pestle in hand and was furiously grinding its contents, completely absorbed in the action. Her task took so much of her concentration that she didn't even notice his attention.

The girl's face scrunched up as she ground a particularly hard bit of the contents into a fine powder. Her brows were furrowed and she stuck her tongue out one side of her mouth, as if it helped in an immensely difficult task. Something much harder than grinding a root into powder. He found it amusing in his semi-delirious state and a rare smile appeared on his face, along with an even rarer laugh--albeit a very tired one. She heard the noise, as quiet as he had meant to be, and her head snapped over in his direction. Noticing his amusement, she at first gave him an annoyed scowl which turned into a playful smile, followed by her sticking her tongue back out at him. He chortled, his eyes lazily closing as he fell back into sleep. Unsure if he'd actually laughed at the girl or if he'd just dreamed it.

He wavered like this for hours. Between wakefulness and dreams. Reality seemed so far away, the hazy nightmare world of his normal dreaming mind sometimes returned. But more often he was drawn into the more pleasant realm of paradise, that place where the angel resided. At one point, he woke and looked up at the girl. Fully aware that it was the girl and not the angel he dreamt of but it seemed they had melded together somehow. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't separate the idea of the girl and the angel. Finally just deciding that the girl was an angel. She had to be...it was either that or she was crazy. Who else would be so kind to someone who'd hours earlier tried to kill her? His plain answer was, only an angel.

Content with his answer, he let himself fall into dreams. Long periods of comforting sleep followed, broken by the occasional moment of consciousness. The whole day passed like the fragmented skipping of a record or a movie reel that had been unwound, and left to spin uselessly on the projector. The welcome melody of light and sound played on the black canvas of sleep and was interrupted by hiccupping images. Every time he woke the scene would change and it would take an unwelcome amount of time for him to adjust. In that time, he'd end up just passing back out before accomplishing anything useful.

Most always, the girl was there, mixing whatever potions or draughts she busied herself with making. He was unsure whether or not to trust her still. If she was an angel, he was a demon. Why would she help him? Who sent her? Questions that would remain, for now, unanswered. Though he _was_ still alive and that counted for something. Sometimes he woke to find her just watching him, with a look of concern on her face. Other times she was tending to his wounds, wiping his face and chest with that incredible gentleness of hers. It unnerved him, in truth, the whole situation unnerved him. Once she'd leaned so far over him that he got a good look down her shirt.

His face remained impassive and he kept his eyes lidded so she wouldn't notice he was awake. It was a welcome sight and he didn't want her outrage to interrupt it. The brief view had stirred feelings in him that had been awoken by precious few. Even if he had feelings for other women in the past, it wasn't like he could have acted on them. He had been watched every minute of his day; a specially assigned ShinRa guard was always at his side. Making sure that he kept on task, his whereabouts relayed to Hojo every ten minutes. He was an expensive specimen and ShinRa couldn't afford to lose him. The assigned guards had been instructed to keep women away from him, especially ones considered desirable. If he were to breed, Hojo wanted it to be with a mate of his choosing--not the boy's. The very idea made Sephiroth sick to his stomach. The mad scientist probably thought of breeding him like a stud with insane glee. But he was free now...the thought made him smile, if only just a bit.

Her graceful neck craned and she bent further forward, apparently reaching for something. She was close enough for him to really get a good look at her. Long tendrils of honey brown hair fell over her shoulder, the slight scent of roses wafting off her. He could feel her supple curves as she leaned into him, her breasts pressing against him and he cursed the unnatural sickness that he could do nothing but watch. It was with great effort that he forced himself to think about anything but the beautiful woman above him. "_Temptress_", he thought dully before passing out again.

Many hours later he woke again, having slept through most of the morning and afternoon. The sun was starting to sink low in the sky, giving the ambient light a pleasant amber hue. The girl was nowhere to been seen and he was half relieved, half disappointed. As sleep fled his body he was pleased to note that he felt much better. It irritated him that the girl had been telling the truth. He'd never liked being wrong.

Sitting up a wave of pain and nausea hit him. Closing his eyes, he struggled to maintain his sitting position. Wavering back and forth in the tent as he breathed in and out slowly, beating back the urge to fall back onto the sleeping bag. Yes, he felt better but he was obviously still quite unwell. He lifted a hand and rubbed his temples, taking one last long, calming breath. Before long the feeling passed and he was able to regain his bearings. He was still weary and his mind still blurred by fever and sleep, but more awake than he'd been in hours. Quietly he regarded his surroundings, noticing the once neat rows of bottles were in complete disarray. With some pain he managed to lean over and examine them. Picking up one of the darker bottles that caught his eye.

It was a smallish glass bottle, deep blue in color. He could see the contents inside, the liquid sloshing against the side and darkening the already midnight blue almost black. There was no label, only a small symbol written in marker on the cap. How did she tell what was in the bottle? He frowned, wondering what in the hell she kept in them anyway. With a shrug, he intended to find out. Not having any qualms about poking his nose into another's things. Her personal privacy meant little in his pursuit to determine her to be an enemy.

He opened the bottle and peered inside; dissatisfied that he couldn't tell what the liquid looked like. It was either clear or it absorbed the dark blue of the bottle as the light reflected through it. Furrowing his brows, he lifted the bottle to his nose and sniffed it. He was rewarded by the foulest odor he'd ever smelt. Coughing and shaking his head he quickly capped it. Carefully holding it by the cap between his finger and thumb, he replaced the bottle. Not concerned about its exact placement. Besides, it wasn't like she could tell that he moved it, what with the mess. Just as his fingers left the bottle, he heard the unmistakable sound of laughter. Female laughter.

The girl sat in the doorway of the tent with a wide smile on her face. All the time that delightful laugh of hers danced from her lips like music. He froze and just stared at her with the most incredulous expression he could muster. Trying very hard to mask his awe of her, amazed that she could be any more beautiful than she already was. No. He wouldn't succumb to her. This was a clever trick meant to confuse him. He crushed his thoughts; his will froze solid all it touched, any human attributes in him fled as glacial ice replaced it. The wonderment seeped from his face and he fixed the coldest glare possible on her. To his utter befuddlement and complete irritation, it only seemed to amuse her more.

"Good morning to you too, General Grumpy Pants. Done rifling through my belongings or should I leave you alone to finish?"

He said nothing, drawing himself up to increase the menace of his presence. His arms folded over his bare chest as he continued to glower at her. She shrugged, the same irritatingly cheerful smile on her face. Without ceremony, she moved into the tent and immediately set about fixing her bottles. She knelt next to him, her unnatural grace evident in every movement. It was fascinating to just watch as her hands flickered over the bottles, rearranging them. Gathering several in one hand, she was able to sort through them in a matter of seconds. Whispering to herself the entire time, completely ignoring him while she worked. She barely spared him a glance. He had tried to continue glaring at her but soon gave up, as she really wasn't paying attention to him any longer. Though it did infuriate him that she was oblivious to his contempt for her. Most people would have cleared out by now. They'd tremble and shake, sputtering about coming back later before nearly tripping over themselves as they left.

This girl was either hopelessly stupid or fearless. He guessed it was the later rather than the former. After all, mixing potions took some amount of skill and intelligence. He didn't know much about pharmacology or herbal remedies but he knew enough that it wasn't something any moron off the street could do. It took years of training and an at least passing knowledge of botany to do it well. He wasn't overly impressed but it did mean he wasn't dealing with a simpleton. That left the only other choice; she had no fear of him. Which was crazy. He tried to kill her for god's sake! Once again he was wondering who she was...what she was. That theory about her being an angel now seemed less like a delusional fever dream and more like absolute truth. And while he pondered this, she worked without pause. Checking the tops of the bottles as she organized. She lighted on the bottle he'd curiously opened. Examining the top, she made a little hmmph noise before going back to work. This drew back his attention.

"What did _that_ mean?" He asked, trying not to sound too curious.

"Hmmm...wha?" She replied, looking up from her work with detached confusion.

"That little grunt. You looked at that bottle and grunted. Why?" He demanded, pointing at the bottle in an accusatory manner.

She smiled mysteriously, obviously teasing him again, "Curiosity killed the cat, General."

She knew who he was, it was the second time she'd used his former title. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, ".... or maybe _you_ did."

"Ah. You still think I'm trying to kill you?" She said with a light laugh.

"Yes. What's in the bottle?"

"Burdock. Very foul smelling but harmless." She said, pausing at his doubtful glance. It seemed he wanted more information and she acquiesced to his unspoken command, "It's an herb that helps purify the blood of toxins. It's hard to find in this area. Even harder to prepare. You have to boil the roots and leaves in specially prepared spring water for four hours before it's ready to strain and bottle. Lucky for you, I know where to look and what to do."

"Why lucky for me?"

She gave him that mysterious smile again and turned back to her work. He was too fascinated by this girl now to be annoyed that she hadn't answered his question. He heard the clinking of glass as she put the bottles away, her pack rustling as she exchanged contents. To his horror, she drew out a small syringe. He stared at it, following her hand as she placed it inside a small vial. Watching with increasing rage and terror as she drew the fluid into the syringe. Turning, the girl held it up to her eyes and thumped the side lightly. As she did this, her gaze briefly shifted to him. Noticing the look of terrified fury on his face and how his eyes fixated on the syringe. She lifted her eyebrows in surprise. ShinRa's greatest general...afraid of a tiny little syringe? The though might have been amusing but for the fact that he seemed truly horror-struck and disgusted by the thing. Like it was a symbol of a memory he didn't wish to relive. Clearing her throat, she drew his gaze away from the object of terror and to her. She held the syringe up and placed it flat on her palm.

"No needle." She said in an attempt to mollify him, "I don't use it for injections into people. Herbal medicine doesn't work that way."

He relaxed; embarrassed that she'd noticed his discomfort. Covering this slip in his facade, he questioned her in as rough a tone as he could manage, "What _do _you use it for?"

"For more exact liquid measurement." She replied, rather matter-of-factly.

He seemed satisfied with the answer and she went back to mixing her potion. His eyes were on her back the entire time and he carefully watched her every movement. Waiting for her to do something that revealed her ill intent. Nothing happened, except that the sun set lower in its cradle and the light in the tent faded with it. He felt weariness as it creeped back into his bones and the urge to lie down became stronger with every minute that passed. Again, he was aggravated that not only had she told the truth but she was right. The poison he'd been injected with pumped through his system when he moved.

Just being upright, watching her had been enough to send a surge of the toxin through his system. Already he could feel the heat return to his cheeks and a light fire burnt his nerve endings. He was so tired but he was a fighter and this was the last time he'd show weakness in front of this girl. So he pretended he didn't hurt and tried to move as he would normally, despite the burning pain in every joint. She started to hum as she worked again. Whatever it was that she'd been mixing, it was clear that she was nearly done and he could tell by the contented way she worked. Like she was glad the task was over. She had stopped her once constant motion and pulled out a marker, writing on the top of the tiny bottle. With a grin, she held it up and shook it for ten minutes straight. Not stopping, she glanced over at him and smiled brightly.

"Almost done." she said, unconcerned that he didn't answer her, "You have a decision to make now, you know." Again, no answer, "I mean, now that you're conscious...it's only fair..."

"So had I still been passed out...you would have given...whatever that is to me without my consent?" He snapped, appalled and angered by her flippant attitude.

"Yes. You're poisoned quite badly. I'd have little choice. Unless you'd rather I leave you to die." Which at that moment, she had kind of wished she'd done.

He snorted and looked away, "So what's this decision I have to make?"

"The potion I've mixed is called essen..."

"I don't care what it's called. Get to the point." he cut her off, his eyes glowing brightly in the encroaching dark.

"The potion I've mixed is called ESSENCE OF FIRE VEIL." She said as loudly as possible, letting him know that she wouldn't let him push her around. He said nothing but he did give her one of his now classic glares. She thought of naming them just to piss him off. "Since you're so paranoid, I can give you a run down of the ingredients if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary. Just tell me what it does."

"Fine. There are two ways to treat poisoning of this kind. One is the way I've been using so far, with a light poultice changed twice daily. It's effective, but very slow. By my estimations it'll take weeks for it to work."

He rolled his eyes and yawned to demonstrate his boredom, "...and the other?"

"The second way is this." She said, her lips thinned as she fought her rising ire. Holding up the vial for examination, "Made from a similar toxin, this will run through your system in a night and purge it of the poison. But...there are some risks associated with it."

"Those would be what?" He interrupted her, again.

Fully annoyed, she retorted, "Well, if you'd shut up for five minutes, maybe I'd be able to tell you!" She waited and when he said nothing, she continued, "Essence of fire veil contains an herb commonly referred to as fireweed, sometimes called belladonna. It's a highly potent poison. There is a slight chance if mixed improperly it can cause instant, painful death."

"That's comforting. Are you trying to convince me that you're not trying to kill me? Because you're doing a terrible job."

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, they burned with fury, "You know. I don't have to take this crap. I've done nothing but help you...and all you've done is make my life miserable. I've sat around in the middle of nowhere for three whole days...tending to your sorry ass and this is the thanks I get? I could be in Kalm by now. In a nice hotel room with a bed and room service. Instead, I'm stuck with you. I haven't had a proper bath in days...my hair looks like hell and no matter how hard I try, I still stink like campfire. Sleeping outside on the hard ground. Listening to your paranoid ramblings...well, I've had it. To hell with you...." She shouted, grabbing her pack and stumbling towards the tent's exit.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you." she snapped, so angry that she was having a hard time unzipping the tent flap, "That way you can enjoy your nice, slow death on your own."

The zipper was firmly stuck. Mocking her with its inability to move upward and let her out. She let out a frustrated grunt, her emotions boiling over as a few stray tears slipped from her eyes. The planet wasn't exactly right but there was credence to its claim. The man was difficult, an obstinate jerk that lived to mock her it seemed. Like the zipper mocked her. She was sure he was laughing silently at her frustration right now. _HA!HA! Look at the silly girl. Crying and blubbering because she can't get the damned door opened. The best part is watching her face as she struggles. It makes laughing at her pain that much funnier_.

The thought made her so angry, so upset that she barely felt his hand touch hers. It wasn't till she looked down that she noticed it. Swallowing hard, she stared at it for a moment in complete confusion. The first thing she noticed was how big his hand was. How it covered hers almost entirely. Her eyes left his hand and traveled up his arm to look him in the eye. The second thing she noticed was how close he was to her and the fact that he had no shirt on. She could feel his skin as it rubbed against her shoulder. His face was so close to hers. He could just lean over and...Aeris shook her head. This was no time for silly thoughts like that but she couldn't stop the blush in her cheeks, nor could she help but look away to hide her embarrassment. He drew her hand up, gently prying her fingers from the bottle she still held in her hand. Before he took it from her, his hand lingered on hers, thumb lightly caressing her hand as he retrieved the bottle from her grasp.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay..." she replied in a breathless whisper.

He hadn't intended to do that. To come so close to the girl and encourage that bit of delicious physical contact but it had happened. And he wondered why. Again, she had to be some kind of angel. Because despite her obvious frustration with him, she still stayed. After that rather fearless dressing down, listing all the reasons why she didn't have to help him...she still stayed. And all it took was a touch. What power did he have over her to do that? More importantly, what power did she have over him? He had never apologized to anyone, ever. Even when he should have. He was still suspicious of her, yet he apologized, not wanting her to leave. How had she done this to him? Why? He grabbed the bottle and moved away from her. Being that close evoked too many emotions that were foreign to him. Things he was unprepared to act on and though she seemed willing. He was unsure of her motives. A lifetime of mistrust and a fear of his own humanity kept him from crossing that barrier that separated him from her. He set his mask of cold indifference back in place, becoming businesslike again.

"So, what are the risks?"

She rubbed her cheek with her hand, clearing her throat before answering him in a shaky voice, "Um....besides what I mentioned before. There are side effects. The cure is in some ways worse than the cause. Expect many of the same symptoms you've been experiencing...only more powerful. Especially the joint pain and the cramps. It'll be excruciating. I was planning on giving you a sleep aide, to knock you out during treatment. The potion takes about twelve hours to work...so..."

"How do you take it?"

"Just drink it...it tastes kinda bad though. Sorry."

He shrugged and drank it down without a flicker of emotion. She was impressed, most people would spit a potion with burdock in it out the first time. That's why she'd fixed up two servings of the stuff.

"Do...do you want the sleeping draught I made. It'll make the pain easier. You won't even remember it."

Sephiroth looked at her blankly, not saying a word before laying down and turning his back to her. She guessed that was a no. The next few hours would be hard for him and she dearly wished he'd reconsider. This was a man who listened to his own advice and only did things if he wanted to do them. Other people's opinions were clearly of little interest to him. She wondered why he had stopped her. What had been going through his head from the moment he rebuffed her to the moment he stopped her with his hand? Most likely she'd never know. Though she really wished she did, and at this, she blushed. Remembering how close he'd been to her. The feel of his warm body against her own, and how pouty his lips were. How kissable...She mentally slapped herself. _Not the time. Not the time_. She repeated ad infinitum. Busying herself with a million different tasks as she waited for the potion to take effect.

The tonic worked with astonishing speed. His head barely hit the pillow and less than ten seconds later the agony had already begun. Pain, the likes of which he hadn't felt in ages rent his fatigued nerves asunder. His blood felt as if it had turned to lava, burning its way through his body. It reminded him of the mako treatments he'd gotten when he was a child. The pain he felt now was so similar to his memories of his past, the kind of agony that left him exhausted and wishing for death.

He was more prepared for it now than he was then. There were no tears, no sound to accompany his suffering. He accepted it as a part of life and as such, he laid back and took it. Let it wash over him, it was only his body that hurt after all. His mind was a million miles away, hidden behind a tiny door in his head. Another device he'd created to survive his brutal childhood. Dissociating from his body, from himself, to make the pain easier to bear. Through the pain, he knew that the angel was near. He could feel her, the warmth she seemed to radiate never left his side. There was surprise that his childhood prayers had finally been answered but no celebration would come of the thought.

The fever that had pursued him so fervently returned. His cheeks flared angry red and sweat didn't just slick his skin, it poured down it. He was barely aware of his surroundings. In this state, he was unaware that he'd begun to tremble; all that he could feel was the startling discomfort that seemed to have no end. His body was very close to complete shutdown. Death was closing in on him. The girl chose this moment to notice him. She'd been bustling about, cleaning up and hadn't noticed that he'd taken a turn for the worse.

He felt her turn him over. Tormenting him with her gentleness. She resumed caring for him as she had before. Wiping his brow, clearing it of sweat. Wetting his pale lips with cool water. All in the name of cooling his fever down, to save his life and when that didn't work, she cast a very low-level ice spell. Exerting a control that even he lacked when using materia. He could feel the air temperature in the tent drop. It felt good but gods, why did she do it? He'd have preferred to lay here in his own sweat, fighting the pain as he always had. Alone. He reached out, hand grasping the air in a futile attempt to stop her. She paused in her casting but didn't leave him alone, favoring him with a small smile. Laying down her weapon, she caught his outstretched hand with her own. She held it fast, guiding it back onto the sleeping bag but not letting it go.

For the next twelve hours she sat next to him, his hand tightly clasped in her own. Only breaking contact with him long enough to cast another ice spell, keeping the temperature of the tent constantly cool. As the hours passed, his fever abated but his pain continued. Despite her own fatigue and the frigid temperature, she didn't leave his side. Kneeling in the same spot for hours, holding his hand and lightly stroking it occasionally while she watched over him. He tried to stay awake to keep an eye on her and it worked for a while. Staring at her through half closed eyes, glittering with pain and with each moment, it became harder for him to hold them open. The effort was too much and eventually, he had no choice but to close his lids and let sleep take him. His eyes fluttered and he slipped into sleep, for the first time he was happy to surrender to it and unafraid of the dreams that would come.

Aeris watched him struggle, wishing he'd just stop being a stubborn ass and accept the help offered to him. It would have been easier for him if he had just taken the sleeping draught. He would have slept soundly, any pain he felt would have been forgotten in the deep abyss of sleep. But he hadn't even given thought to it; he just took the potion without a word. Like he had some insane desire to prove that he wasn't weak or maybe he just didn't like sleeping. Either way it was weird. Because no one enjoyed that much pain, no matter how much they pretended they did.

Even he wasn't immune to the suffering the potion caused. It didn't show in his face but she could feel it. And it wasn't like he enjoyed her helping him, and he had to know that if push came to shove she would. In fact, she knew he wanted her to stop. As evidenced by his futile attempt to stop her casting. There was more to it than that. She could feel it, how uncomfortable he was. He wanted her to leave him alone, to let him suffer in peace. Once more she mentally remarked on his silliness for not taking the out she'd offered him.

Well, what he wanted didn't matter anymore. He was her patient and his care was her responsibility now. She wouldn't leave, especially considering how close to death he was. She was worried; terrified that she might have mixed the potion wrong. Maybe she'd added too much belladonna. Even a small amount over the suggested limit was enough to kill a man. Albeit very, very slowly. His fever worsened and it took everything in her to keep herself calm enough to think clearly. She'd never treated a critical patient like him. There came a horrible point at which she knew there was nothing else she could do but sit and wait. So that's what she did. Her knees hurt from sitting, her legs were falling asleep, and she was tired. Yet she sat there, holding his hand and waiting to see if he'd pull through. She prayed that he would and as the hours passed, his condition slowly improved. Smiling as she stroked his hand, watching color return to his face.

Several more hours passed and she found it hard to keep her eyes open. Her head bobbed and she shook her head suddenly to throw off her exhaustion. She shifted her hand, moving it to a more comfortable position. Glancing down at his hand she noticed something she hadn't before. Light blackish markings on his wrist. His right hand wrist. She shivered, remembrances of the short time she spent in the ShinRa labs coming back to her. Could he?

She turned his wrist over to examine it and gasped when she saw the line of familiar numbers imprinted upon it. They were different from her own and much darker. The tech she'd gotten had been kind. Making her tattoo quite small, taking extra care to make sure it was unnoticeable. They obviously hadn't taken the same care with him. She ran her fingers over it, her brows furrowing. Not only had they given him a large set of ugly black numbers on his wrist but...the skin wasn't smooth. As if to test the theory, she removed the bracelets she used to cover her tattoo and ran her own fingers over it. Perfectly smooth. Her fingers returned to his wrist, noting the bumpiness of the flesh. How it was puckered as if it'd been burned.

She looked from it to him, whispering to herself quietly as realization hit her, "Oh my god."

They hadn't just tattooed him; they'd branded him, searing the numbers into his skin so that removal would be near impossible. It was bad enough being marked as one of their test subjects or a research specimen. But he was more than that to the ShinRa. He was a specimen and their personal property. Marked like a chocobo that was set to slaughter. The pieces fell together. Why he might be out here in the condition he was in. She suddenly remembered the bullets she'd pulled out of him. Quickly she let go of his hand, sliding over to her pack and rifling through it till she found the pocket she'd placed the bullets in. Digging one out, she examined it and her suspicion proved correct. He'd escaped from ShinRa's laboratory. They'd pursued him but he'd gotten away. Probably killed a bunch of people to do it. All that blood he was covered in, there was no way it was all his own.

She was afraid of him but now more afraid of ShinRa. They'd be looking for him and they wouldn't take anyone helping him too kindly. Swallowing hard, she put the bullet away and regarded her patient. What in the hell had she gotten herself into? The PHS crackling to life startled her out of her reverie and she jumped, letting out a loud squeak of surprise. The thing kept going off and Aeris furiously dug deep in her pack till she found it. Wincing as the thing screeched, the voice on the other line constantly repeating one message.

"Kalm Central Dispatch calling unit sixteen-forty-two sierra, do you copy? Over."

Aeris blinked a couple of times, not entirely understanding the strange code they used. She fumbled with the controls for a minute before finding the correct button and pressing it. Looking at it uncertainly, she answered back, confusion coloring her voice, "Um....Aeris Gainsborough here...um...over?"

"Say again? Over."

"Um...Aeris Gainsborough...My name is Aeris Gainsborough...over..." She said, still puzzled, her voice entering realms of sarcasm she was unaware she possessed. What the hell did Kalm Central...whatchamacallit want with her anyway? She could hear the other person on the line talking with someone else, their conversation probably muffled by the caller's hand.

"Yes, Miss Gainsborough. Good to hear from you. We have a situation report request from your guide, Randy Giles. Just checking up to see how you're doing. Over."

"Uh...fine." Aeris replied, shrugging and grimacing at the device as if it could sense her confusion, "Um...how are you?"

"Stand-by."

"Okay." Several minutes passed before the radio erupted again.

"Miss Gainsborough, last reports indicate you had stayed behind to treat a lone causality. Request a situation report on the victim. Over."

Aeris froze, now it made sense, why they called her. She'd never been a good liar but...she said, tersely, "Yes. He's fine."

"Is he still there? Our information indicates he wasn't a part of your tour group. We need confirmation of his location. Over."

"No. No, he's not here anymore. He left just today. Is there a problem?" She lied, praying to the gods that they bought it.

"No, everything is fine Miss Gainsborough. Did you see which direction he might have gone? Over."

"To the east I think. Are you sure there's nothing wrong? He's not in trouble, is he?" she asked, trying to draw out information from the operator.

"No. No problem at all Miss. Just wanted to notify his relatives. A team is inbound for your location. Should arrive in a day or two. Anything we can do for you till then, Miss Gainsborough? Over."

"Nope. I'm fine. It's all fine here. Anything I can do for you?"

A chuckle came from the other end of the radio, "No, thanks for asking. Sit tight. We'll see you in a couple of days. Over and out."

"Yeah, thanks...over and out...and stuff."

The PHS dropped from her hands as she stared out into space, her gaze steely. A fight had been brought to her doorstep and now she had to choose which way to go. She could leave right now. The potion she'd given him had worked and he'd be fine on his own. But that would mean leaving him to the ShinRa. She turned her head and watched him as he slept. If she helped him it'd make completing her own mission harder. It would mean that they'd be pursued, running from place to place. A pair of fugitives.

Even the planet agreed with her, that she couldn't let ShinRa take him back. In fact, it seemed insistent that she not allow them to recapture him. This coming from the same being that wanted her to leave him for dead just hours ago. She thought of questioning the planet but decided it wasn't worth her time. There was probably a very good reason and she didn't care what it was, at least not right now. All she knew was that it offered to help, it agreed with her and that was enough.

She had a day to plan, maybe more. They'd probably called the Turks in, and in that case, it meant that they'd be tracked by the best. Her mind raced as she came up with a loose plan. It would take most of the next day to set it up, and it probably wouldn't work. But what could she do? She was just a flower girl, tactics and strategy was hardly within her realm of expertise. The planet would help...but. Aeris sighed and lay next to her patient, determined to get at least a few hours sleep before she had to face the next day.

"You're more trouble than you're worth." She whispered as she glanced at Sephiroth one last time before closing her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note**--

This chapter is dedicated to Ardwynna Morrigu. That scene with him looking down her shirt. It's all for you, baby. --grins--


	7. An Occasional Dream

_In my madness_

_I see your face in mine._

_I keep a photograph_

_It burns my walls with Time._

_ --David Bowie_

Filtered, unfocused midnight unfurled in looping, rolling waves of heat. It was a strange thing to have one's vision blurred by the blinding light of the sun when there was no sun to speak of. She was the sun and the moon and the stars all in one. A radiating universe in a flesh wrapper, the world made of pale alabaster. Mist swirled around the ethereal form of the Madonna as she prayed for a miracle in the sanctuary. All around her, the city screamed in chaos but the anarchy did not bother her.

Nothing would disturb the Madonna. She was resplendently peaceful, with her eyes closed and hands clasped. The last hope of the cetra was held in her pressed palms. She was a singularly bright spot in a world saturated with darkness. Held together by the glowing light of faith she cradled between her slim hands. Her long black hair hung in loose curls, uncharacteristically unbound and spilling over her shoulder. It was given a bright bluish halo by the waning light inside the city. The Madonna of lost souls and forgotten hope, a tragic angel trying to save a city that was past saving.

She wore the garb of a cetran high priestess. Her robes were simple but elegant, yet spoke for her high standing. She wore the stark white kimono that was solely reserved for those of her rank. A bright red cord was draped around her neck, tied in the middle with an intricate knot. It complimented the formal skirt she wore over the kimono which mirrored the cord in its blood red hue. Those colors, red and white described so well what was to come. A foreboding palate, white the color of innocence, all that a priestess embodies and red, the color of sacrifice, that which a priestess must sometimes make.

The white and red of her robes blurred and washed out in the dreamlike light of the sanctuary. Seeming to bleed out, pulled forth by the inescapable forces of eternity. The Madonna opened her eyes and it was like a blow to the chest. Their gaze glowed with gentle affection. Her eyes saw no darkness, no faithless desire. Only the truth, only that which was pure entered those gleaming blue-green orbs. She would suffer no lies.

They looked into a void of barely concealed rage. The rage had no name, no face and no identity. All that existed within him was untamable anger and his lips gave his hate a name.

"_Isolde_..."

He was dressed much like she was; only he wore dark blue hibikama, formal pants that all male priests wore when in service to the gods. His sandy brown hair was tied back neatly by a stiff paper strip, commonly seen in those who served the gods. He was the temple high priest and her counterpart in all ways but one. She was untainted by the Siren, too pure to hear her call. He heard the Siren's song and heeded it, was driven mad by it as so many of her people had been.

The affection in the Madonna's eyes never wavered but it was joined by sorrow. It hurt her to see her lover consumed by the Deceiver's madness. Even so, she could not falter. Closing her eyes, she prayed even harder.

He saw this and it angered him. The Siren had told him that she would betray him. She told him that the Madonna did not understand the revolution they were planning. She never would understand, too tied to her ritual as she was. The Madonna wanted to preserve the status quo and she would side with the humans, rather than join her own people in rebellion. She would protect them. Try to stop the revolution that would finally free the cetra from their mortal constraints. And here was his proof.

Anger like an all consuming volcanic fire erupted within him. He drew his sword and held it high, poised above her kneeling form. The scene froze and the appearances of priest and priestess changed. Dark black turned auburn. Light brown bleached silver. For a moment, the dream and the dreamer separated, and then merged. The past showing the present a vision of what the future held. He saw another self in the void before the world returned to speed and all was as it should be. His sword hovering just above the frail priestess that at one time had been his true love.

The sword fell and took the Madonna with it. Light engulfed the figures as blood sprayed from the Priestess's wound. She fell through it, individual drops of blood splattering her face, staining her pure white robes. Her long hair trailed behind her like ribbons of pure ebony, in a fall that was so slow it might have been eternity in a single moment. It tested time itself, the clock ticking the minutes of her life away. Her eyes closed sadly, glad that in her own way she succeeded, even if it meant her own life. She collapsed on the floor of the sanctuary in a widening pool of her own blood.

The Priest lowered his sword, and the hate that had clouded his face faded as the reality of what he'd done sunk in. He could hear the mocking voice of the Siren laughing at him far above. She laughed as the city burned. Laughed as the last cetra true to her people gave her life. Laughed at those foolish enough to believe her lies and follow her to their own doom. That laugh was like the west wind, cold and cruel.

The materia his love had clung to so desperately fell from her limp hand, unable to hold it as her life faded. Grief-stricken and guilty, he let his bloodied sword clatter to the floor. Watching in horror as the life blood of the only woman he ever loved spread over the marble floor. It rolled forward, like an incoming tidal wave. Finding the little cracks in the tile and creating a morbid little highway that was stained dark red.

He fell to his knees and gathered her into his arms gently. The color that once bloomed in her cheek had long ago blossomed and all that was left was for the flower to fall from the tree. Taking the last journey of every blossom.

She spoke to him from bloodless lips, dark green eyes gazing up at him, gone glassy as death curled its fingers around her heart. Her voice was the merest whisper, choked with the sorrow and loss of a young life cut short. It was one last question, a question that would forever go unanswered. Not so much final words but a plea for understanding, a breathless, haunting echo.

"_Why?_"

Why...

_Why?_

"Why..."

He tore himself from the nightmare with a harsh gasp. Bolting upright, his heart still thundered in his chest. His brow was soaked with sweat and he was shaking all over. Sephiroth held up his trembling hand, almost amazed that there was no blood on it. The tattered remnants of the dream were so strong that they still held firm even after he woke. His breathing was rapid and heavy. It felt like his airway was constricted, as if he'd been screaming...or crying for an extended period of time. But...that was impossible. He never cried. Not since...Tentatively, he touched his hand to his face. The entire area around his eyes was damp. Wiping away the tears, he drew his hand down and stared at them in disbelief.

He'd been accustomed to having nightmares ever since he was very small. When he was much younger, he'd often wake himself crying. He hadn't done such a thing in a very long time. Once he was enrolled in military school, he had to find a way to manage the nightmares. Being in the barracks with other boys, he had to develop ways to keep such embarrassing incidents to a minimum. He couldn't change the dreams or the terror they brought. Instead, he learned how to meditate so well and so deeply that it resembled sleep enough to fool his superiors. He rarely slept to this day and if he did, it was only in half hour long increments. Just long enough to get some rest, but not enough to draw him into the deep REM sleep that would allow him to dream. It wasn't like he really needed the rest anyway. Sleep would probably do him good, even with all his enhancements...but he'd survived this far without it.

That wasn't even the point. This dream was more real than the others. It followed a coherent story, having a beginning, a middle and an end. Most dreams were not so well formed. Another point, this dream wasn't much like any of his previous ones at all. This one seemed like some old style historic drama. Why would he dream of something like that? And that name again. Isolde. This was not one of his nightmares. It wasn't nearly nasty enough to be. Not bad enough to cause him to cry, an activity he hadn't done in at least fourteen years. But he couldn't deny the evidence.

Confused, he looked around him for an answer almost helplessly. He was in a little tan tent that seemed vaguely familiar. The soft patter of rain thumped against the thin surface. Slowly, he remembered where he was and the last few hours came back to him. This tent belonged to that strange girl. She'd given him a potion, a cure of some sort. '_Cure, my ass.',_ he thought, grimly. That damned girl. She'd done this somehow. Sent him a kind of warning dream, meant to do...what? Confuse him beyond reason?

"Damn it." He cursed.

Nothing made sense. He'd entered a world where the logic and reason he valued so highly did not work. No, no, if he really thought about it, there was logic to be found. Assuming the girl hadn't lied to him. What she'd given him had been a cure for the poison he'd been injected with. She had said that it would be worse than the poison itself. And the poison had caused quite vivid hallucinations.

The simple end of this deduction was that the cure he'd been given had caused him to hallucinate. He then built a story around that name that had come to him...from another poison induced hallucination. It explained things enough for him and he was really too tired to dig any further into it. He smiled wryly; he'd have to thank her. Mind numbingly awful pain and life affirming hallucinations. Cure, indeed. Where was she anyway? Shouldn't she be in here right now, bugging him? He half expected to be awakened by her clumsy poking.

Glancing around, he noticed something that disturbed him. All the little bottles that had previously cluttered the floor of the tent were gone. So was the pack she'd stuffed them in. The only thing that remained was a pile of clothes and what looked to be a packaged granola bar. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

He took advantage of the gift, devouring the granola bar before examining the clothes. Well, they were dry and not ripped. That was about all he could really say without appearing ungrateful. There were a pair of brown work pants, a stained but clean wife beater, a red flannel shirt, and a pair of socks and shoes. He stripped down quickly and changed into the clothes, trying his best to do so with some grace in the cramped confines of the tent. Height wise, the clothes fit him serviceably. The pants were a bit too short, but that was okay.

It wasn't the length that was the problem, it was the width. The clothes were simply too big for his narrow frame. The wife beater's straps barely fit and kept slipping off his shoulders, much to his irritation. The flannel shirt was baggy and hung loosely, making him look like an insane lumberjack. His pants were so big in the waist that he had to stretch the belt to its very last hole. Even then, they just barely sat on his hips and he was constantly worried that with the slightest tug, they'd come right off. The worst were the shoes. Tying them as tightly as he could, they were still uncomfortably loose. His feet were swimming in them. It felt like he was wearing clown shoes and it did NOT make him happy.

Still sitting in the tent, he looked down at himself and found the sight utterly ridiculous. He'd never felt so foolish, wishing that something less laughable would fall from the sky and save him the embarrassment of his current ensemble. This was hardly the outfit to wear when one wished to be invisible. He'd never blend in looking like this. In fact, he'd stick out like a sore thumb.

It would be hard for anyone to forget a six foot tall young man with silver hair dressed in baggy clothes that made him look like the most cleanly beggar EVER ...or worse, a special needs child dressed in his father's work clothes. Yeah, no one would notice _that_ at all. He'd be better off in his full military fatigues, which would clearly identify him as ShinRa's general. Every bounty hunter in the entire world would be on to him in less than a second...but it was better than dressing like Eddie the Gimp. At least his fatigues were intimidating.

His eyes narrowed again as he wondered if the girl had somehow done this on purpose. Of course she hadn't, she'd been nothing but kind to him. Subconsciously he knew that. Still didn't mean he'd trust her.

He unzipped the tent and stepped outside gratefully. It had been days since he'd been able to walk on his own. There was no torture man or god could devise that was as horrible as being stuck on your back in a tent, forced to endure the prattling nonsense of one obnoxious girl.

It was a dull, overcast day; the sky was hidden by rolling gray clouds. A light drizzle patted the bare earth, not enough to soak it...but just enough for it to be uncomfortable for anyone walking around in it. The air was unusually cool for summer, and were he weaker, it might actually have bothered him. For most everyone else, this was not a day to be out in and it begged the question, where was his mystery girl?

Suspicion grew inside him as he strode forward. Her bedroll was gone and the fire pit hadn't even been used. The ashes from her last fire were soaked and sopping wet. Not even the last dying flicker of the fire's last ember remained, nor a wisp of smoke. This fire had been out and dead for quite some time.

She was gone. The girl had left, around six hours ago, more or less. He couldn't gauge the time more accurately without the sun. It had to be late morning, around eleven hundred. Maybe later. A wild guess, but probable. If he was correct, that meant she'd have to have left around o-six hundred. Maybe earlier. He studied the ground briefly. The rain had flattened her footprints so that they were very faint. Luckily, his eyesight was better than average, a thought that made him chuckle lightly to himself. He could see them quite clearly.

She'd exited the tent, set her baggage down and packed up her bedroll. After she was done, she shouldered the bag...seeming to favor her right....and walked towards the woods. The same wood he'd seen her exit from when he first met her.

He sighed, almost sadly. It was as he feared. She knew who he was and though she probably had no idea what he'd done. He could make a calculated guess that she had figured out that he'd done _something_. Any simpleton could see that the blood he was covered in couldn't all be his own. Even if she suspected nothing, she'd probably notify ShinRa in an innocent desire to help him. That seemed to be her MO. She was unlike most humans in that regard, strange really. So, perhaps she hadn't turned him in for reward money but the end result would be the same. ShinRa would come for him.

The least she could have done was to stick around, so he could find out which it was. He closed his eyes, remembering how it felt to be close to her. Odd that something like that came to him at that moment but it had been nice. There was no denying that. It would have been nice...to feel that again, one last time. A final, precious stolen moment. How fleeting such things were. Like trying to catch sand in your hands, no matter how hard he tried, something always slipped between his fingers. Maybe...maybe this was for the best. Someone like him...He scoffed. Why would anyone want...whatever he was? Useless. All of it.

His heart pounded in his chest like a dull, lead weight. He felt so empty, like a clay jar waiting to be filled with river water. But the river bed was dry and the rainy season was long over. She was gone and it was of no consequence to him. His life was but a strangely flickering film, and all those in his life were actors. Actors who moved through the scenes and interacted with him from time to time before removing themselves from the stage, leaving him alone to deliver the soliloquy.

A chill wind ruffled his hair, brushed over the dew that had beaded over his skin. It sent a stifled shiver through him, which he ignored. The west called and it was time to move on. Time to go home. Something about that seemed almost pathetically sad, as if he should be wanting for more. It was a feeling which he also ignored. He summoned his sword and mechanically walked towards the magnetic pull of the west, to follow where the wind whispered.

There was a warning in his heart, put there by his dream but he was powerless in the face of the wind. It called. He obeyed. Even though he didn't really want to go, even though everything in his being screamed to resist, telling him that this was wrong...but he couldn't stay. Could he? All he could do was move forward, despite his reluctance and the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Where are you going?"

Abruptly the cold prevailing westerly winds stopped, and the warm southern breeze of springtime returned, brining with it all things bright and alive. The sound of that high voice, so much like the tinkling of bells, broke the westward tug in his blood. His legs stopped, they obeyed him now. _How_...? He turned and stared at her incredulously. She'd left and then came back. _Why_? He didn't care really. In fact, it kind of annoyed him. It had been a small mercy when he thought she was gone. There was a part of him that was quite relieved. Now that she was here, things were made difficult again. It confused him. Why was it difficult now? What was it about her that made him feel like this? So awkward and doubtful, uncertain and afraid...nervous. It was aggravating. He didn't like the feeling at all.

She gazed at him with silent bemusement, a small smile on her face. Looking almost surreally beautiful and dreadfully out of place in such a somber scene. She was the kind who should always be surrounded by flowers and light. Her auburn hair highlighted by the sun. This weather...this day, was like him. Not her. Her smile widened. How like the sun she was. His antics amused her, of that he had no doubt. Sephiroth tried to put a tough facade up but it was all smoke and mirrors...and she could see that.

This terse and uncomfortable silence would have driven most away. Not her, never her. She seemed to be unperturbed by it. As if she accepted him for being the person he was. She wasn't afraid of him, wasn't unnerved by habits that drove most up the wall. He ignored her and it almost made her laugh. He could see it. The giddy look on her face...he could almost hear her. What a silly man you are! Then she'd giggle in that peculiar way of hers. Bubbly and downright annoying. Yes, this girl was the world's most perfect torture device. He turned away from her and started to walk away. Not three steps into his stride and he was stopped by the sound of her voice again.

"I wouldn't go that way if I was you." She stated, her voice taking on a lilting sing-song quality.

"Then I should be glad I'm not you."

She shrugged, stating in a matter-of-fact tone, "Your mistake, not mine. Good luck."

She sounded so confident that he was wrong. How could she possibly know anything? Unless...

He paused for a beat before speaking in a coldly dangerous tone, "Really. And what makes you so sure of that?"

"Because. There's nothing but open fields in that direction. Not a tree for miles around...You'd be spotted in the air just like that." She said, snapping her fingers to emphasize the point.

"And why..." he asked carefully, turning slightly to regard the girl, "...Would I care about that?"

"Because...The ShinRa are looking for you."

Her words were simple, said in that same sweetly lilting tone. She could fool some with her innocence but not him. He'd wanted to find out which it was...now he knew.

"You are from Midgar, correct?"

"Yes...How did yo--"

"The slums?"

"Yeah...How...How did you know?"

"From that coarse accent of yours. Only low born slum rats speak like you...So, what is it that you want?"

"Nothing really. Not like I care one way or the other if you take my advice. Just wanted to help."

"You can drop the charade. It's not like it's hard for me to guess what you really want."

"Oh? Reeeeeally?" She replied, with a laugh in her voice, "So, what AM I after? Seeing as _you_ know sooooo much."

He had expected her to be indignant at his suggestion. This wasn't the first time some under-the-plate trailer trash had tried something like this. They'd do anything for the right price. But if you called them on it, they'd deny it to the four winds. Going on and on, protesting their innocence...how much the wanted to help...until you flashed a gil their way. Oh no, sir, I'm not asking for money...but if you give it to me, I'd be so grateful. You could throw it on a heaping pile full of rubbish and they'd jump on it like a starving dog. It was sad, really. But this girl. She seemed amused by his suggestion. Like she couldn't care less.

Fine, he'd get to the point. "You know who I am, and you know I have money. Need I say more?"

She laughed, and the sound was nothing short of pure sweetness and light. So, it would come to this.

"What do I want with your money? It's of no use where I'm going." She said, shaking her head, her braid bobbing behind her with the movement, "You know, you pretend upper class snobbery _very_ well. But it doesn't fool me one bit." the girl smiled, her eyes twinkling with absolute delight, "It's none of my business anyway. I just thought I should warn you. Go that way if you want. And when you're in that helicopter back to Midgar, don't say I didn't warn you. Goodbye, General."

With that, she gave him a playful wink and turned around, moving into the forest to disappear as suddenly as she'd appeared. He'd spun around at this point, his eyes gone wide. _Who was this girl_? _What did she_...._how could she_?

"Pretend? What do you mean by that?" He spat the question out at her, in demand of an answer.

She turned slowly, staring him straight in the eye with that irritatingly cheerful smile of hers. "Games are beneath us, General. You may walk the walk and talk the talk...but we both know you don't come from the upper plate."

"Is that so?" He said, gritting his teeth, his voice dipping dangerously low, "Illuminate me, then. Where do I come from?"

He knew it. God damn it, he knew it. This girl, she knew too much. What kind of trickery was this? Who was she...what were these games? His hand went to his sword, and he let his fingers caress hilt. She saw it, he made sure she did. The girl knew what danger she was in and what a gamble she was taking with her life. Yet she didn't appear in the least afraid. Why?

"ShinRa's labs." She stated with utmost certainty. The look on his face darkened, and she knew then that she was right. She pressed on, not a bit afraid of him. If he wanted to kill her, let him try. She knew the planet would protect her; it wasn't her time after all, "JES...01. I'm not sure what the 'J' is for. But the 'ES' I know quite well. ShinRa laboratory code for Experimental Specimen, the number means you're the first. Unless of course, that brand on your arm is some new fad amongst the young aristocrats. So why don't you illuminate me? Are you just another rich boy, burning his arm for fun? Or are you one of ShinRa's nasty little experiments?"

He didn't answer; instead, he glowered at her. The look on his face said death. He'd kill her in an instant and for a moment, she almost regretted crossing that line. But he'd pushed it this far. It wasn't really her fault.

"Cactaur got your tongue?" She asked, rather flippantly, "Oh well. I don't really need you to tell me. I know what the brand is. I know what you are. And I couldn't care less. So, if you don't mind...I have better things to do than to trade banter with a witless fool like you. ShinRa is coming...and I'd rather not be here when they arrive. Good luck to you, General. I do hope you find your way...Planet willing. Goodbye!"

_Witless?!! _She'd pay for that. "And where, exactly do you think you're going?"

She shrugged, with her back turned. The gesture was natural and unafraid, "Leaving, of course. Want to tag along?"

He didn't answer her question. Sephiroth was angry now. This girl knew too much. Too much for it to be coincidence. A million questions battered his mind and he'd have each one answered to his satisfaction. This girl was full of mysteries and too damn unwilling to answer simple questions without saying and doing things that brought up more. He'd see to it that she answered to him. He'd see to that quite nicely.

"How very observant you are. Tell me, how do you come by this information?"

Slowly, she held out her right arm, twisting it so that the inside of her wrist was clearly visible. He could barely see, but tattooed on the inner flesh of her wrist were a series of letters and numbers. She was too far away from him to make the writing out, even as good as his eyesight was. As if she knew this, the girl turned around, still holding out her arm. The movement was carefully graceful, like she'd practiced every moment of every day this one action. As she turned, her arm turned with her, until it was held out in front of her, a clear invitation for him to examine it.

He hesitated, gauging whether or not it was a trick...a pathetic ruse to get him to come closer before she stuck a needle in his neck with enough Thorazine to kill an entire family of Midgar zoloms. She rolled her eyes and held out her other hand. Satisfied, he came closer, until he was within arm's reach. He looked at her, then her arm, then her again. Came closer. Looked at her again and tiling his head, he looked back at her arm.

His lips had thinned into a line and he radiated tension. He moved to her right side, so that he could see both hands at all times. Roughly, he pulled at her right arm and examined it more closely. In this wet weather, ink would smear easily when touched. His thumb brushed over the tattoo and nothing happened. The numbers stayed, staring back at him with mocking veracity. CRS--07. It was her number, and real ShinRa code.

He looked up at her, his features relaxing just a bit. One last test.

"How did you know ShinRa's laboratory code?"

"The lab assistant assigned to me was very chatty. I don't think he got out much." She answered blandly, with a sideways glance.

"You're a research specimen?"

"No. I'm a person...like you are and the people who poked and prodded me are."

He snorted...a person? Him? Once ShinRa got its hands on you, you were no longer a person. He'd been with them his entire life. He was their property. They owned him, their claim burned into his flesh. This girl denied the obvious. Even if she'd been free for some portion of her life, the minute they tattooed those numbers on her arms, she became theirs. No matter how much she didn't want to be.

"Semantics...you're a research specimen."

"No semantics involved. I am what I am. Not what some scientist labels me as."

"Fine then. The tattoo says research specimen. Happy?"

"Always." She chirped, with a good-natured grin.

"What does the 'C' stand for?"

"Dunno." She replied with a shrug. "What's the 'J' stand for?"

Her eyes sparkled. _I'll tell you if you tell me_. She was a dreaming fool. He wouldn't tell her a damn thing, besides...he didn't really know what it stood for himself. Frowning, he let go of her hand, managing to be as rough as he had before. He circled 'round her, scrutinizing her for possible signs that she was a threat. She was bored of this, and demonstrated this clearly by titling her head back and gazing at the sky. Fidgeting, she began to hum quietly to herself before she got too restless to take it anymore. He stood in his former position, directly in front of her, albeit a bit closer.

Looking at him from underneath her furrowed brows, she asked, "Are you satisfied that I'm not here to kill you...or drag you off...or whatever it is you're suspicious of this time? Because my arms are getting tired."

He nodded curtly, still eyeing her warily. There was another long stretch of silence. Where he watched her and she watched him. She carefully massaged her wrists, which had cramped from holding them up so long. He stared at her mistrustfully, waiting for her to slip up. His suspicions were waning though, because no one could keep up a lie this long. Not under his careful scrutiny.

"What are you?" He queried, bluntly.

She was about to answer him when her face blanched. A small gasped escaped her lips and her eyes began to search the sky frantically. Abruptly, they stopped on a spot just behind his shoulder. Her eyes widened in alarm, and the fear in them was clearly evident.

What kind of silly, half assed game was this? Did she really expect him to fall for that? The over the shoulder gag was more than just old. It was freaking ancient. Beyond ancient. It should be buried in a lead-lined coffin and left for dead in the middle of an open pit. He did an oh-go-three-sixty and huffed impatiently. This was just childish.

"What is it?" He asked the question but didn't really care if she answered.

Sadness crept into her eyes, which never moved from the sky.

"They're here."

"Oh...please...." He said, sarcastically.

She didn't respond to his mockery, in fact, she seemed to be ignoring him entirely. The strange girl closed her eyes, and held up her left hand. With a quick motion, she held two fingers straight up, her thumb holding the other two down. Her eyes snapped open and she flicked her arm out in front of her. The unmistakable green glow of materia radiated off the delicate silver bangle she wore on her wrist. Suddenly, the wind picked up, buffeting him sharply. His long hair tangled in it, billowing around him like a tattered silver cape. He turned, wanting nothing more than to know what in the hell was happening.

In the distance he could see the hovering form of a helicopter as it flew straight for them. He noticed something else. Swirling dark clouds gathered above the copter and followed it as it got closer and closer. What kind of cloud formation did that? None. None did that, because it wasn't natural and neither were those clouds. He glanced back at the girl, who stood completely still. The wind picked up again. He was unnerved by her. How still she was. Like nothing in this world could move her and woe be it to the fool who tried. And behind her eyes...there was electricity behind them. He turned back. The helicopter was so close now; he could just make out the ShinRa logo.

In a brilliant flash of blue light, an arcing pulse of electricity hit the rear rotor. It exploded most impressively, in a shower of orange and gold sparks. Without this stabilizing rotor, the helicopter began to whirl out of control. Turning around and around in a violent tailspin, and with each turn, the machine lost more control. He watched with numb awe, unable to tear his eyes from the sight. Rotating wildly, it hit the topmost branches of the forest. The cracking of tree branches and the whining of the helicopter's failing engine were all that could be heard.

Everything went deathly quiet as it spun further in, breaking branches as it went. Then it hit something it couldn't break...and it exploded. Helicopter parts and tree branches flew into the air as the smoking wreck of the machine fell to the forest floor. Another explosion rocked the forest, before things quieted again. All that was in the air was the stench of the burning helicopter and the distant crackle of fire. He turned to gape openly at the girl, who stood calmly in front of him, breathing a bit heavily. She almost looked sad. Their eyes met and what was said between them was distant and unreadable.

That strike was unreal. He was good with materia. Very good, and even he didn't have such accuracy. It was easy enough to direct the energy from a spell but it got harder the farther the target was from you. Even very close, the best you could manage was to go for large sections of whatever you were attacking. The head, torso or abdomen. This held true whether you were casting a spell on a living subject or an inanimate object. But she...She'd pinpointed that rotor. It had hit exactly where it needed to and from a distance of at least twenty miles...probably more.

"What are you?" He repeated his question, not even hoping for an answer.

She smiled regretfully, "What are any of us, really? Do you know? I don't..."

He was about to open his mouth and demand what she meant by that, but she didn't even give him a chance. Touching her hand to her heart, she bowed her head before turning her back and walking towards the forest. Sephiroth was so astounded by the sheer audacity of it that he was struck for the first time in his life, absolutely speechless. Just before she disappeared into the forest, she turned to give him one backwards glance. She smiled, the sorrowful expression on her face had left and again it was filled with that eerie cheerfulness. He remembered a book on mythology he once read. It was filled with tales of forest spirits in the forms of young women. He'd always dismissed such fairy tales as nonsense...but now, he began to wonder if some of those might be true.

"Hey!" She shouted, that ever present laughter in her voice, "You coming or not?"

Without even waiting for him to answer, again, she disappeared into the forest. Her form melding with the forest, seeming to become one with it, as all good dryads were. He stood there for a beat, looking back at the smoldering wreck of the helicopter. Wordlessly, he turned away from it and followed the girl into the forest.


	8. Staring at the Sun

_I used to stare at the sun for minutes at a time._

_And after awhile, the bright golden circle of the sun_

_Would melt away into the deep blue of the sky.._

_--Anthony Stewart Head and George Sarah_

It was well past noon and had the sun been out, it would have shone brightly. There would be a pleasant, dappled smattering of green hued light that would have permeated the forest. In the last few days she'd spent here, she'd grown to love this little stretch of forest. Not only because it was her first time in such a place, but because it had welcomed her so eagerly. Had the sun been out, the birds would be singing, fluttering aimlessly from tree to tree. They'd accepted her as well, becoming so oblivious to her presence that sometimes they'd almost accidentally land on her.

One in particular had almost set down on her head four or five times before it realized she was not a tree, strafing her head before soaring back into the sky. It reminded her of all those children's movies she'd seen as a child and she couldn't help but laugh. Birds being that comfortable with you was all well and good, but she was sure no fairy tale princess had ever had a bird shit on her. One _had_ shit on her and her initial excitement at all the birds loving her disappeared almost instantly, replaced by firm annoyance. She now batted the little bastards away.

Speaking of which, she'd noticed the complete lack of their normal chatter. Even on such a dull day as this, they'd still make some noise. In fact, there was almost a deafening lack of sound. Aeris froze, terrified to think what it might mean. It could be as a result of the one who followed her but she quickly dismissed that. He carried with him a taint but he wasn't a threat to anything here...not yet anyway. Plus, he was with her. The forest would trust him as long as he was in her company. Confused, she connected with the planet briefly to confirm what was going on. The connection was tenuous, but what she could glean from it, the current quiet had nothing to do with her companion.

She had thought that she'd have at least somewhat of a head start on Shinra . They'd have sent more than one helicopter but she thought she'd bought them time by killing the first. Well, she had but not as much as she'd hoped. It would take around forty five minutes to get where they had to go. Their head start wouldn't be much, but it'd have to do. She didn't feel the need to run but she did quicken her steps, not even looking behind to check on her companion. Aeris had always prided herself on being fast for someone as short as she was, even then, she didn't presume to consider that she'd be faster than the great general behind her. His speed was legendary, that is if you believed everything they said in the papers. Even if it wasn't super human, she was assured that he'd be able to keep up with her pace. He was much taller than she and it stood to reason his stride was much longer than hers.

She didn't take into account her familiarity with the terrain and his relative unfamiliarity, having been too unconscious to explore the area as she had. Consequently, he'd fallen quite a bit behind. She'd made it to the path near the fallen tree before she'd noticed his absence. Looking behind her at the empty path, her imagination began to work on her. The startling silence of the forest only helped to unnerve her further and soon she had herself worked up to quite a fervor. Convinced that he either hadn't followed or if he had he'd been captured or worse. Her conversation with him had been nerve wracking in and of itself. Leaving her feeling a bit drained and slightly angry at his lack of trust, if anyone was untrustworthy it was him. _She_ hadn't leveled a sword at _him_.

The whole thing had been a giant gamble on her part and it had taken every bit of energy in her to keep herself calm. She'd surprised herself by how easily she'd kept up the enigmatic facade of cheery insouciance. Not to be blunt, but it was the only way she could think to motivate him, at least, the only one that didn't involve his overlarge sword and her head being lopped off, which he'd been quite close to doing, if she had to guess. He wasn't as easy to read as most people. In fact, it was quite hard.

She'd always been slightly empathic but feeling him out was neigh on impossible. His emotions rippled in odd waves, too small, to subtle to be fully gleaned. However, she had seen the murder in his eyes when she mentioned his being an experiment. She'd seen him weigh her life. Balancing killing her, against not killing her and while she was relieved he decided the latter, the fact that he did it at all was alarming. Trust was a hard thing to give. This she understood all too well. Even in more normal circumstances, it wasn't something given lightly. The situation they were in was NOT normal and the gift of trust was even harder to give, if not impossible. He didn't trust her and to be plain, she didn't trust him either. How could she put faith in someone so quick to murder?

But she'd tamped down her fear and tried her best to put it behind her. Moments ago the planet had given her enough strength to do this, to face him without a trace of fear. She'd used it to draw him out and make him curious enough to follow and it had worked. Or so she thought. Maybe she really was too late. Maybe he'd go back to Shinra and whatever awful scenario she hoped to avert would come to pass.

Strings of a hidden dream returned to her, they wrapped around her mind and squeezed with the viciousness of a jungle snake. In the blink of an eye a series of rapid images filled her eyes. A sanctuary, she prayed, a sword fell and all else was darkness. She'd had this dream before, only it was slightly different in that one. This was her death, or a version of it. Either way it was troubling. Half the reason she wanted to help Sephiroth in the first place was the knowledge that he was her enemy's avatar. To snatch him away would mean she might have a chance to evade her own sacrifice. Not that she wasn't prepare to fulfill her vow, but if she didn't have to give her life, than she really didn't want to.

And now. And now...It was silly, really, being so unsure of herself. Sometimes it was hard not to feel weak and insecure, especially when it seemed she could do so little. Who was she to challenge the gods? A mere half-breed, without the power to stop the pillaging of the planet save the desperate notion of sacrificing herself to purge the world's sin. It was much too big for her and she'd spent many a night weeping, begging the planet to take this responsibility away. _You are the last_. That was all the planet would ever say to her desperate requests. The finality in that statement almost made it hard to live sometimes. She forged past it, always hoping on the periphery that she'd somehow find a way to avert martyrdom. So close. She'd been so close.

A slight breeze rippled through the forest, rustling the leaves gently. It had been raining steadily since early in the morning and it had tapered off some as afternoon approached. Now it was merely a light drizzle that clung to her skin and clothes, damply misting the surface with a fine sheen of water. The wind brushed past her and involuntarily, she shivered and drew her arms around herself for warmth. Everything was oh-so-quiet. Too quiet. Aeris gazed around her as if suddenly the forest she knew so well had become unfamiliar and foreboding. She hated this feeling. Like she was shrinking inside herself, hiding away from what she was. Pretending to be a strong and unconcerned, like a true cetra would be, denying that weak human spirit that fluttered softly at its side. She had no fear, yet she did, because both were apart of who she was.

Lately, she'd tried so hard to hide those weak aspects of herself and she realized why. It was because of him. Hiding was the only way, because if he knew she had weakness, he'd use it. That was the way his kind was. To show fear in front of someone like him was to allow him to control her, and she couldn't let that happen.

Soon enough, she'd be rid of him and back to her normal self and all this useless fretting would be long forgotten. Yes, that was the answer. Besides, was she so weak to doubt the planet's trust in her and her faith in herself? No. She wasn't. Just a bit longer and things would be fine. Repeating that mantra, she pushed herself off the tree she'd been leaning on and traced her path back to the clearing she just left. But there was still more confidence in her step than she felt and she began to ponder the mystery that was her unlikely companion.

Sephiroth was more than the sum of his parts and much more than the colorless facade he presented to the world. There was passion laced behind his eyes, which he hid quite well with his icy demeanor. She had guessed, correctly, that most people took him at face value and didn't dare scratch below the surface. Aeris had. She'd seen it when he reached for her hand, trying to stop her from healing him...the times he'd gaze at her with eyes half-lidded in his delirium, pleading with her to stop being so kind. Those eyes could hide themselves from others, but she would always see, always know what lay just beyond. There was great sorrow there...

Walking with measured steps, she sighed discontentedly. That sorrow, it bothered her immensely and she tried to push away from it, but it always came back. It was almost like she wanted to stay with him, to relieve him of his burden. But that was just...she was only saving him from Shinra, no more, no less. Once they reached the next town, they'd part ways and she'd leave him to his own devices. But it seemed...wrong. _You wished to save him, child and we have aided you...do you think such a feat will be so simple?_....the earth beneath her whispered. Torn seconds of silence passed and her mind was flooded with several terrible thoughts that came all at once. Her eyes darkened preternaturally, trying to ignore the urgent whisperings of the power that was and wasn't the planet. _You made your choice, there is no turning back_....Aeris shook herself and tried to think of something else...and failed. Lost in thought, she stared blankly into space, not really paying attention to the world around her. Two words broke her reverie.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, his deep voice smooth and unconcerned.

Aeris gasped despite herself, holding a hand to her heart in surprise. _Damn him_. She'd forgotten he was a trained warrior and no doubt knew how move through the forest without making noise. _Bastard_. She thought peevishly, without any real reason for her ire other than the smirk he was currently wearing. _Smug bastard_. She added, with a slight pout. He gazed at her expectantly, with a tilt of his head to indicate his desire for an answer.

"...You scared me.." She stated primly, purposefully not answering him and instead carefully dusting off her dress to calm her nerves and infuriate him.

He remained unruffled.

"Obviously." He commented dryly, the corners of his mouth tipping up ever so slightly with unfelt mirth.

_Oooh. The bastard_. He was just getting her back for winning the argument.

"I wasn't sure you followed me..." she replied, pointedly ignoring his petty insult.

"Well, now that we've established I have...may we move on?"

She was very, very tempted to stick her tongue out at him but viciously resisted the urge. It'd only let him know he won this round and she'd be damned before admitting defeat to the likes of him. He gazed heavily at her, and the weight of his stare was almost unbearable. She smiled weakly, feeling suddenly very vulnerable. Her lack of confidence returning under his silent scrutiny, she'd always felt inadequate and his mocking glare didn't help matters. Too flawed to be cetra, to strange to be human. She wondered then, if sometimes he felt the same way. Was that why he was so hostile?

She regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. This was where the sorrow came from. It was like her own and a slow, secretive smile spread across her face. The cold bemusement he'd displayed before transformed into annoyance that practically radiated off him in visible waves. It was hard to take it seriously now, knowing what she did. In fact, the whole situation was silly. Ridiculous. All this preoccupation with a man she'd probably never seen after this or so she hoped, if everything went as planned. A man who was so like herself in his own way.

The tension she felt ebbed away and her smile widened. He looked at her as if she'd gone crazy and she had to admit, it was probably pretty weird, just smiling out of the blue like that. But she couldn't help it, when she was happy, she was happy. It didn't help matters that the perplexed look on his face was actually charmingly out of place and his oversized clothes completed the picture perfect image of a confused little boy. She stifled a giggle as he fidgeted, adjusting and readjusting his clothes in a futile attempt to make them fit.

The flannel shirt he'd been given gradually slipped off his shoulder and he pulled it back up for about the fortieth time. He straightened the shirt in an attempt to look somewhat dignified, noting that she was taking amusement in his discomfort. She knew he was trying to pretend that she didn't notice and it made it that much more humorous. He tugged at his sleeves, deciding to push them up in an attempt to make himself more comfortable in his clothes. It didn't work. The shirt slipped off his shoulder...again and he pulled it up....again. His pants slipped and he tugged at those as well and then he looked up. Aeris had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from laughing out loud. But it wasn't like what she was thinking was a secret. Her face was tormented with repressed delight and she openly struggled to remain even a tiny bit serious.

Adjusting his shirt again, he jerkily crossed his arms and scowled at her, trying very hard to appear intimidating but somehow it didn't come off that way and he had no idea why. He stood there as silent as the grave, his luminous eyes glaring at her with barely repressed contempt and she should have been scared witless...because his stare was intense, nearly feral with anger. His shirt slipped off his should again. Inside her head she made a little sound effect as it slid down. '_Whoooop!'_, sang the imaginary sound in her head and that was pretty much the last straw. She clapped a hand over her mouth and tried to stifle the giggles that wouldn't be held back any other way. And when that didn't work, she just surrendered to the laughter and let it escape without thought to what danger they might be in.

Her laughter was a purely joyful sound, bright, crisp and rolling like hills that surrounded them. It was real. She laughed and it was real. Aeris experienced joy as few others did, fully embracing it without reservation or regret. Once she started laughing, it was very hard for her to stop and this time was no exception. She laughed till she was breathless and red faced. Laughed until she couldn't even voice a sound and all that came from her throat was useless gasps. It didn't help during the entire fit that Sephiroth just stood there, statue like, and stared at her. Pointedly arching an eyebrow at her, which only made her laugh harder.

Sephiroth didn't understand it, moreover, he was annoyed at the outburst. She was laughing at him. Laughing. No matter that it sounded genuine, though he'd never heard such a beautiful sound before. When most people had laughed in his presence, it had always rung false to him. As if they were trying to force it for his benefit. When it was really just to comfort themselves because they feared him. _Stupid, human games_. This strange girl laughed freely. She laughed at him. He'd have killed anyone else for such a thing.

Yet he didn't feel the need to with her and it puzzled him. It was as if he knew she meant no harm by it. She had laughed and there were no barriers between them. She laughed because she felt it. There was something to be joyful about, something funny, something that amused her and despite his presence, she didn't hide it. The girl acted according to her feelings and he couldn't help but feel envious. If only he was so free. Why couldn't he laugh like that? For a moment, his facade slipped and he let the ache he felt on a daily basis show. He was isolated. He would always be isolated. Because joy like that was so foreign, as untouchable as the sun. _And she is the sun_...

"...What's so funny?" He snapped, icily.

She looked up at him with wide and innocent eyes, still bleary from her giggle fit. Her face struggled a moment and she burst into a new round of laughter that resulted in a vicious coughing fit. After a moment, she calmed herself, breathing in and out slowly before answering him shakily.

"Nothing. Nothing at all..." she replied, her voice still tinged with tired giddiness, "We have to go this way..."

She pointed behind her and to the left, before quickly turning around. Her giggle fits would never stop if she kept looking at him. She dearly hoped that he'd buy new clothes before he left her company, because as kind as Barret's gift was, the silver haired youth looked just silly in them. Maybe she'd help him with that before they parted ways permanently. Turning towards the path she'd left, she was surprised when she was yanked backwards. His grip on her wrist was hard and unforgiving, and she knew better than to fight it. At the same time, she was severely aggravated with him and almost afraid she might start laughing again if she had to look at him. Which just wouldn't help things at all.

"What were you laughing at?"

He would not be ignored or lied to and demanded an answer from her. She tried to pull away this time with a look of vaguely perplexed annoyance. His hold remained firm and he tightened it to let her know there was no chance that he'd just let go. Aeris frowned. Apparently he was used to getting his way when it came to things like this. As if he had a right to have all the answers for everything all the time. What was life without the occasional mystery? Besides, it's not like it was a grand secret. She was laughing at him because she found something funny enough to laugh about, and he just happened to be the cause. And who the hell did he think he was anyway?!! She wasn't some ShinRa grunt, subject to his imposing will. If he thought that she'd snap to, salute and do exactly as he wanted with a quick two step, he had another thing coming. She was no one's to command. No one save the planet. He wasn't even a general anymore. She narrowed her eyes and prepared to tell him just that when the planet shrieked in alarm, causing her to wince in pain.

Sephiroth noticed the sudden shift in her manner. How she went from open defiance to pain laced obliviousness in a matter of seconds. Her eyes were glazed over and looked out blindly, as if she wasn't in the world anymore. Eyes deadened as if she was concentrating on something deeply, submerged within herself, escaping his scrutiny, ignoring him for some interior voice. God above, she was the most obnoxious person he'd ever had the misfortune to deal with and he was about to tell her exactly that but he stopped himself. Something was wrong. This wasn't just some feminine stalling tactic. Her skin which was warm only moments before had gone ice cold under his fingertips. Goosebumps stood out on her flesh and he could feel her trembling. It started out as a barely noticeable tremor which gradually got worse, until she was visibly shaking. Without warning, she tugged out of his grip and looked up at him with a wide eyed expression. The first thought he had upon looking her in the eye was that she was frightened, scared witless.

"We have to leave..." she said breathlessly, her voice deadening with apprehension, "....now."

Alarmed, he caught her wrist, this time more gently. She whirled around, her face painted with furious fear, wild and hysterical.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING!?" She cried, trying to pull away, "WE HAVE TO GO--WE HAVE TO--LET ME GO! LET ME GO!!"

He watched her struggle, fixing a bored look on his face to try to keep her from becoming more irrational. Someone had to keep their heads in this and she was clearly not in possession of her wits. He didn't understand the change in demeanor and he didn't care. She was already an enigma wrapped in a mystery, neither of which he particularly cared for. However, he was worried about what she meant about leaving and the best way to solve a problem was to remain calm and gather all your facts. So he proceeded to do so in the most logical way possible.

"Why?"

Instead of a coherent answer, she continued to try and squirm from his hold, all the while screaming at him to let her go. He sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, twisting her hand back until she had no choice but to fall to the ground beneath him, squealing in pain.

"Why?" He repeated, with almost irritating calm as he relaxed his hold on her wrist.

"...ShinRa...is here..."

The planet screamed in her ears and she could barely hear her own voice as she replied. She closed her eyes, trying to beat back the twin waves of pain, the one in her head and the one in her ass. _Damn them both_, she thought bitterly. The planet didn't much care what she felt at the moment as it flooded her with power. It stretched out her senses until she could feel the living energy of every being in the forest. She struggled against it, as the experience was very uncomfortable. It was like eating candy that was too sweet. Sending her to a place that was between pleasure and pain. The planet focused her senses, targeting only those energy signatures that were human and suddenly she could see. There were bright points of light all around them, circling in on the lights that represented them like an ever moving fog. Threatening to subsume them...it was ShinRa and they were closing in.

Her eyes snapped open and though her hysteria was gone, her panic was not. She looked up at her companion with raw fear. They'd be caught if they didn't move and soon. With a speed she didn't know she had, she reversed his hold on her and took his hand in hers, clasping it tightly. She turned and was nearly yanked off her feet when he didn't move with her. _Stubborn ass_...She pulled at his hand desperately. He was immoveable, looking at her with blank apathy. She pleaded with her eyes, begging him to just trust her as she tugged at his hand again. His face remained unexpressive and coldly detached, as he continued to wait for an answer that would never come.

"How do you..." he was about to ask.

She curt him off with a snarl, "THERE'S NO TIME!"

She yanked his hand sharply enough to send him into a stumbling walk. He wasn't about to let her win and had planned on yanking her back just as harshly. She'd been given her fair chance to come clean and stop all this bullshit. Before he'd had no choice but to obey and trust her, that time was over. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Then he heard the distinct sound of voices and twigs snapping as a large group of people moved through the forest. A dog barked and his head snapped in the direction of the noise. She was right. Damn her, she was right.

Her hearing was not as good as his. He knew this because he'd snuck up on her more than once without her noticing. So, the question remained, how did she know ShinRa was here? In the end, he surmised, the question didn't matter at all and the most annoying part was that he had to agree with her. Leaving was the most palatable option at this point, though he probably could take the entire garrison they'd no doubt sent. The thought _was_ tempting...He moved his hand as if to draw his sword, but she stopped it. Looking up at him earnestly, she shook her head and tilted it to the left, at an overgrown path just behind them. It was an achingly slow process in his mind that took mere seconds. He would trust her. Lowering his hand, he squeezed hers for reasons he couldn't possibly comprehend. His only excuse that it was acquiescence to her plan of action or at least that's what he told himself.

Again, he wanted to ask her how she knew, he wanted to ask so many questions but as she said, there was no time. She broke out into an all out run, thanking the gods that he not only followed, but held onto her hand as she lead him. The forest flew by in a blur of yellow and green. Abruptly she stopped, using the planet's temporary gift, she could feel the soldiers near.

"Sir, I think I heard something over here..."

The voice was muffled, but clear enough so that she knew he was close. Sephiroth heard it as well, and again, went for his sword. She covered his hand with hers and pulled him behind a large bush. He was going to object and opened his mouth to say something when she covered it with her other hand. Startled, he stared at her, not sure whether he wanted to cut her arm off for being so bold or to just simply sit her with her hand over his mouth. Aeris didn't notice the little internal war. She was too busy concentrating on the soldier's movement through the forest.

Licking her lips, she could feel him as he moved closer. Her heart beat a thousand miles a minute. He was right next to them. She bit her lip and unconsciously she held her breath. The solider move away and with every step she felt herself relax until she no longer could feel his presence. She looked over at her companion, who was still wearing a shocked look of wonder and outrage. Aeris blushed and removed her hand, mouthing 'I'm sorry'. Her hand clasped his again, and pulled him towards the path she knew was less than three feet away.

He resisted slightly, squeezing her hand lightly, almost unsurely. There was a part of him that was incredulous at the action, not able to comprehend why he was being so gentle, so soft. He should have swatted her hand away but the pulse of contentment he got just by holding it was too beautiful to not savor. So he ignored instinct and allowed this bit of forbidden contact to continue. Not knowing that she felt the same confusion and awkwardness. It was odd to hold the hand of a stranger and yet feel as if you'd known them forever. Aeris shook her head and turned to see what her companion wanted. She was still in a half crouch, ready to beat feet. Unexpectedly, he pulled her closer to him, until their bodies nearly touched. An almost embrace. His face was near her ear and she blushed with wild embarrassment.

"...You know where we're going, correct?" he whispered huskily, his breath brushing across her skin lightly enough to cause goose-bumps.

She swallowed hard and nodded numbly, almost amazed at his sudden shift from paranoid bastard to unlikely ally. Not to mention the strange, yet oddly welcome closeness they now shared. She could almost enjoy it.

"They have dogs. Wherever you're taking us, they will follow." He paused, his face darkening suddenly. "I want to make this clear. I'm willing to trust you. If this is a ruse...if you abuse my trust in you, I assure you, your end will be painful. Now, do you trust me?"

She could have laughed herself stupid when he said that and she bit her lip to contain her laughter. It was out and out hilarious to hear that sentiment from him, of all people. Especially after what he'd said! Asking for her trust and threatening her life in the same space of time. It was worse than laughable. She was driven beyond exasperation by his inexplicable paranoia. Was he trying to confuse her? If so, he was doing a damn fine job. He deserved a gold star and a cookie. She glanced up at him uncertainly, holding his eyes with her own for a moment before nodding slowly. He nodded back, his odd eyes changing from tranquil jade to a light viridian. His face was grimly serious and he set a hand on her shoulder, before looking deeply into her eyes.

"Water...is there water nearby?"

"Yes." She replied quietly, "Just over there.."

She pointed in the direction helpfully, doing a double take when she thought she saw him smile. It disappeared before she could tell for sure, but she could have sworn she saw his lips twitch a bit at the corners. _Amazing_. He tilted his head to indicate for her to lead the way. It took a few seconds for this to register, as she was still staring at him dumbly. Her mind still focusing on whether or not he'd smiled. Blushing, she led him to the river and pushed her sillier thoughts from her mind. They stealthily made their way to the river, still holding hands and it wasn't until they arrived that either let go.

It had begun to rain a bit harder and the day had grown cool. The light sundress she was wearing wasn't keeping her warm and it was even more useless now that it was damp. Shivering, she waited at the riverside for him to act. He paused, looking at the scenery with a calculating gaze. His head tilted to one side, then the other, as if he was listening to something only he could hear. After a few minutes of this, he turned to her, stepping forward in an unconsciously protective manner.

With a frown, he looked down at his own shirt. Wordlessly, he ripped a long strip of fabric off of it, while she looked on curiously. She raised her eyebrows as he ripped, not really sure what ripping a shirt had to do with anything. Giving a little mental shrug, she watched this parade of freakish behavior with mild interest. He didn't seem perturbed by her attention, as he had before and he continued on as if she weren't even there. With sudden swiftness, he knelt on the ground and proceeded to dig at the dirt. She watched with rapt fascination as his long fingers cleared away dirt from around a stone.

Satisfied with his work, he easily plucked the stone from the ground, only to repeat the process until another was uncovered and clasped in his hand. Boyishly, he tossed one in the air and caught it. Aeris almost laughed again and opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing. He must have heard the slight inhalation of her breath, because she immediately garnered his attention. She nearly dropped the stone he tossed at her but the little smirk he gave her, she managed to catch. Aeris frowned at him, looking from him to the rock and back again with a cocked eyebrow.

He held up a warning finger, with a look of smug superiority. It was his non-verbal way of telling her to shut up and pay attention. Barely able to repress the urge to stick her tongue out at him, she opted instead to watch silently, albeit sullenly. He took the slip of fabric and wound it around the rock carefully, tying the ends tightly before shoving it in his pocket. His head snapped up and he stared at her for a beat before closing the gap between them without a word. She felt like shrinking away from his towering form but she held her ground. His hand was around her arm and she had to consciously repress a shriek of surprise. He'd pulled her closer to him, gazing up and down at her, as if appraising her quality.

It was embarrassing and weird and she wished he'd stop because it made her feel uncomfortable. Slightly reminding her of her time at ShinRa, only infinitely more pleasant. He was warm and that realization brought a flaming blush to her cheeks. Because part of her wanted to lean into it and if she hadn't caught herself, she would have done just that. What was with her? Again, she chided herself for being so childish. This was not the time for this kind of stuff and it made her flush darker. She was just being silly and as she tried to discern what he was doing, she looked up at him through her bangs. Not wanting him to see the bright dusting of crimson across both cheeks.

He apparently didn't notice or didn't care because he seemed more concerned with her hair. For a panicked and very girly moment, she wondered if there was something wrong with it. She quickly recovered herself as he continued to stare at it before his hands darted forward. Without any consideration for her personal space, he began to untie the ribbon and he wasn't even gentle about it.

Her ribbon was in his hands. Her ribbon. Aeris scowled unhappily at the ribbon he stole from her. Then he took the rock he'd given her and repeated his previous actions. Her face darkened and she gave him the sourest look she could muster. The polite thing to do would have been to tell her what he was doing. Instead of keeping it to himself, leaving her in the dark and ribbonless. He was just lucky the ribbon was only for decoration and she thanked the gods for the smaller, plainer hair band she used to secure her braid.

"Which direction?"

Aeris had been studiously ignoring him. Sending him her best annoyed glances and scowls, and she'd have given him the silent treatment if they were in any other situation. Of course, she hadn't been really paying attention to what he said and it suddenly dawned on her that he had, indeed, asked her a question.

She flinched at the sound of his voice, "Huh?"

This earned her a disapproving glare.

"Which direction?" He repeated, his voice nothing but a low whisper but still capable of annunciating every word in the most condescending way possible. When she didn't look any more enlightened than she had before, he rolled his eyes before explaining as curtly as possible, "You seem to have sensed the ShinRa before they came...So, from which direction are they coming?"

"Oh...yeah..."

She paused in thought, blinking at him a bit dumbly.

"So...."

She shook her head, blushing when she realized she'd been staring into space again. The connection she made with the planet was quick but it worked. With combined effort, she sought out to find where the ShinRa were coming from, where they were headed. From what she could tell, the largest concentration seemed to have swarmed over her camp and spread outward from there. There were so many of them. She gasped as the planet drew her a vision of the small contingent on their heels. This group of ShinRa was less than twenty minutes behind them and they had dogs. Just as Sephiroth had said.

"They've fanned out...The largest group is behind us..." she relayed to him, her voice an earthy whisper, "...But..." She scowled and shook her head as the planet's images gained focus, "...they're breaking off...sending more upriver..."

He had expected as much. The fools had underestimated him. Sephiroth nodded at her warily, eyeing her with something between suspicion and awe. Aeris missed the look completely as she opened her eyes, feeling suddenly exhausted and wishing she were warmer. She couldn't understand what he was doing and why they were still here, when the enemy was so close. He played with the fabric covered rocks for a moment or two, spinning them in his palms before he stopped short and pushed them into his pockets, leveling a pensive gaze on her.

"Come here."

She looked taken aback, alarmed and annoyed by the commanding tone in his voice but she obeyed. Hesitantly, she stepped closer to him, her hands creeping up to protect her hair from further violation. At this, he smirked before grabbing her wrist and forcibly pulling her closer. She squeaked in protest as he hauled her into his arms.

"Hold on." He commanded, his deep voice rumbling under her fingers as they pressed against his chest.

"_He has no right_," she thought just before she felt her feet leave the ground.

He didn't even give her a chance to comply with the order. The forest floor rushed away from her and she was left dangling precariously in the arms of a man who wouldn't blink twice if he dropped her. It was obvious they'd gone airborne and try as she might, she was surprised. She didn't want to be. Leaping from the ground to the air in a single leap was...abnormal but who was she to judge? All the same, it was terrifying and she stared at the ground, her eyes widening in fright.

"Don't scream..."

The quiet admonition silenced the sound that almost escaped her lips but it didn't stop the terror she felt. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him, head buried in his neck. The clipped chuckle this elicited did not make her feel better and if she were a more violent person, she'd have hit him. He really was a pain in the neck.

Abruptly, their upward momentum stopped and Aeris exhaled with a rush of relief that was almost immediately sucked back in. He had leapt into one of the trees, setting down on one of the topmost branches that was just thick enough to hold them both. She was no more comfortable with this new development than she was before. It was made more uncomfortable by the fact that he still hadn't let her go.

Not that she wanted him to. Falling to her death wasn't a pleasant thought but he could have found a branch to sit her on. Away from him. She squirmed uncomfortably, wishing he'd just set her down. Her struggling ceased as he gave her waist a warning squeeze. She stopped, but inwardly, she fumed. This whole situation was infuriating, and it wouldn't have been so bad, if only he'd let her in on the big secret. But he remained stonily silent and uncommunicative as he scanned the ground below them. The ShinRa the planet had shown her crept into view and she froze, only slightly comforted by him tugging her closer.

She looked up, curious at his actions, only to find that he wasn't anymore expressive than he was before. It was an empty gesture and it irritated her. To annoy him, she studied his face, watching as minute expressions flickered across it. She couldn't read him as his thoughts and expressions passed too quickly. His face was a storm cloud and his emotion seemed to be like lightening that fled before the rain. What was he thinking? How could someone's mind work that fast...and why? He was a rather fascinating person to watch, she concluded, after a few minutes. She could watch him all day and have no insight into his condition, no clue as to what lay behind those assiduously cold eyes. For an empath, he was somewhat of a conundrum. A challenge. Aeris couldn't help but smile a bit impishly at the thought.

He'd noticed her staring and had firmly ignored it, but it did aggravate him. Without looking at her, he spoke quietly, "I'm going to set you down..." He paused, and sharply titled his head to her right, "...Grab that branch."

Aeris frowned and tentatively reached a hand out. Her fingers scrabbled to grab the branch he'd indicated, the action made more difficult by the odd position she was in. With one hand, she clasped onto the branch, making a little, satisfied sigh. He stepped back, his hands still at her waist, steadying her. She wobbled slightly and almost lost her composure, nearly slipping.

"Calm down..." he ordered, worried that she'd shake the branch more noticeably than she was already.

He came closer to her, allowing her to grasp his shoulder with her other hand. She stood there for a moment, glad that he was allowing her this moment to collect herself. This wasn't exactly in her rubric. Carefully, he guided her, so that she sat on the branch and to her amazement, he didn't let go the entire time. Not until she was seated safely, with her arms hugging the tree's wide trunk. It was oddly calming to realize he might not be a total bastard. She looked up at him and smiled shakily. Not surprised when he didn't return one in kind. What she did notice was that he wasn't standing on a nearby branch, as she had thought. In fact, he wasn't standing on anything at all. Where a branch _should_ be there was nothing but open air. He was floating. Her eyes widened comically and she looked from his feet to his face. He shrugged, completely non-plussed by her reaction. Slowly, he descended so that he was eye level with her.

Again, without speaking, he came closer to her, his hands reaching out and snagging the hem of her dress. Later, she decided, they'd discuss his apparent lack of respect for another's personal space. Before she could jerk him away, he'd ripped a good strip of cloth from the bottom of her dress. Her mouth dropped to her chest. The sheer audacity! That was a new dress! She'd brought it specifically for this trip! To her further chagrin, he didn't even rip it evenly. One side was torn and ratty looking and the other remained pristine. Her face burned with the outrage and she could do nothing but gape in disbelief. Whether or not he was enjoying this, she couldn't tell. Not by the look on his face, but underneath the cool mask, she was pretty sure he was.

"Why'd you do that..."

"Give me you hand."

"What?! Why?!!...I mean, no! You didn't answer my question..."

He rolled his eyes and with inhuman speed, he snatched her left hand. She didn't have time to object, nor was she that willing to. He unsheathed his sword and her sudden lack of interest in objecting disappeared. Not that it mattered. Her hand was forcibly drawn across the thin blade, splitting the flesh on her palm, leaving behind a neat, fresh line of blood that gushed openly. It was done before she could scream or cry, and oddly enough, it didn't even hurt. In one swift movement, he wiped the surface of the sword clean with her dress rag and sheathed it.

The same rag was used to mop up her now bleeding hand. He held it to the wound for a bit, long enough for the fabric to soak up the blood. Aeris was officially angry now and she'd wisely decided not to say anything at the moment. But the minute they were out of this situation, she was really gonna let him have it. Sword or no sword. The fact that she could do nothing at this moment made her all the angrier. And the man that should have been her outlet for this did nothing but smirk quietly...in mid-air. Oh, she hated him.

_Smug, sonva_...

He turned her palm over to look at it, wiping it clean as his brow furrowed. She couldn't imagine that there was anything resembling concern there. Their eyes met and a million unanswerable questions passed between them yet again. Was it possible to loathe someone with your entire being and yet be so damnably fascinated by them? She might just stick around after this. Just to frustrate him. It'd be small recompense for her lost time, stolen ribbon, torn dress and all the general irritation he caused her.

He held her gaze for a moment longer, bloodied rag in his hand. She wished he would just pick a branch and sit down like a normal person. Floating like that...it was disturbing.

"Take care of your hand..."

"What?"

"You should heal that..." He replied simply, "...I'll be back..."

"Wait...What do you--"

And just like that, he was gone. Flying away to parts unknown, leaving her near the top of tree she couldn't possibly hope to climb down on her own. So help her, if he didn't come back....Aeris scowled. He better come back. Grumbling, she set about healing her palm, having to resort to using mild restorative spells. She had to save her strength, after all.

"Wouldn't have to heal it at all if it wasn't for him..." she complained grumpily, pausing before adding, "...jerk."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

Well, here ya go. This chapter was meant to end somewhere else and is in fact much, much longer. But I'm tired and a bit lazy and I didn't want to torture you with an uber long chapter. I kid. I realize this was sort of a fluff chapter but it's all good. It sets up stuff for the next, more action packed chapter. Hurrah for action!

Also, I had some questions regarding Purgatory from Windwalker...the story and the actual concept itself. Please, see my user profile for answers.

Anyhoot. I wanted to thank y'all for reading and being patient with me. I have an irritating habit of making too much work for myself and I'm glad that y'all understand. Purgatory should be updated pretty soon. Not sure what else. I'm gonna try for an Angel Wings update, but don't hold your breath. Aaaaaanyways.

Till then!

Ciao!--Noa


	9. Down to the River

_As I went down in the river to pray_

_Studying about that good old way_

_And who shall wear the starry crown_

_Good Lord, show me the way!_

_-Alison Krauss_

The trees rustled quietly and it would have made her feel peaceful and relaxed had she not been in one, with the ground some twenty feet below her. Aeris could feel the branch she was perched on sway slightly with the wind and it did nothing to help her waning sense of security. She gasped softly, clapping one hand over her mouth to silence the sound. The branch moved again and she bit her lip, quickly grasping the tree with both hands again. She clutched it just a bit tighter than she had before and soon her fingers began to feel the strain. It started as a mild ache in her fingertips as they grasped the rough bark and soon moved to her palms. She couldn't continue to hold on like this.

And suddenly every little discomfort became disturbingly apparent to her. She couldn't help but notice the gnarled branch underneath her, which was cutting into the backs of her legs and it made her bottom hurt. Her feet were getting all tingly and numb. She was pretty sure they were falling asleep. The wind that kicked up had made her bangs move and they tickled her nose, and one had gotten caught in the crease of her eyelid and it hurt. Quickly, she batted the stray tendril of hair out of her way and tried to squash her rising panic. No matter how she tried to reassure herself she was perfectly safe, she still felt perilously close to falling down. It didn't help that she kept imagining what that might be like. There'd be the initial elation of her descent, and then the stick cracking of her bones as her body hit every branch on the way down.

"_Sweet Shiva, Aeris! Are you trying to scare the crap out of yourself_!" she scolded herself, berating her overactive imagination all the while knowing it'd do little good.

It really didn't help that she kept looking down at her feet. Her eyes seemed to be drawn down, though she'd been told that was the worst thing to do if you weren't partial to heights. It wasn't that she was that afraid of heights but it was unnerving. She'd lived her life underneath Midgar's plate...not on top of it, so she just wasn't used to stuff like this. It was a shame that her first experience climbing a tree had to be so terrifying. The way her few friends had described it had sounded fun. She looked down at her feet again, like the foolish girl she sometimes was. They dangled limply over the branch, swaying back and forth with the rhythmic motion of wind and tree. It was disturbing and she tore her eyes away, resting her chin on her chest and closing her eyes briefly before opening them again very, very slowly.

No, she didn't like this experience one bit. There was NO way this kind of thing would be fun under any circumstance. Reno was a damn liar or a sadist. Aeris reminded herself to give him a swift kick in the shins if she EVER saw him again. Licking her lips, she decided to try a trick someone once told her. They said that if you focused on the horizon, your fear would melt away and as long as you didn't look down, you'd be okay. For a little while it worked, but not nearly long enough. The wind picked up again, this time with more ferocity and the branch visibly shifted beneath her. A storm was coming...and she was in a tree. Aeris whimpered. When and if Sephiroth came back...he was a dead man.

Another gust of wind hit the tree and she actually had to grab onto the trunk for dear life as it nearly shook her free. A few soft patters of water hit the back of her neck and she repressed a shiver. _'Damn him.'_ She was more scared than ever and she felt the sob in her chest urging her to release it, _'Where is he? Stupid jerk! Leaving me in this tree...What if he got killed?_' That thought stopped her cold. What if he HAD gotten killed or captured? How would she get do-_'Damn!_' She'd have to find a way out of this tree on her own. Aeris paused to consider that thought. She'd have to find her way out of a twenty foot cedar tree, by herself, having no experience with tree climbing whatsoever. In fact, she had little experience with ANY kind of climbing. She didn't want to climb down by herself. She didn't want to climb at all. She didn't even think she could climb down. She didn't even want to be in this stupid, god forsaken tree in the first place. Aeris pressed her lips together and tried to keep herself from either crying or pounding the trunk of the tree with her fists. Frustrated, she let the tears gather at the edges of her eyes, not to be fully released. She was either going to starve to death in this tree or fall out of it and it was all his fault. Stupid...

"Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! JerkJerkJerkJerkJerkJerkJerk JERK!" she whispered, digging her fingernails into the bark and closing her eyes tightly.

She was shaking again, holding back her tears and her fear and the hysteria that came with all of it. With a ragged breath, she again attempted to calm herself. This time she tried a surer method, calling upon the planet to help control her mounting panic. Being this upset wasn't helping much of anything. Concentrating on her breathing, she listened to it while she reached out for the planet's song. Its steady pulse rose to meet her, engulfing in a bright green circle of warmth. The planet's voice hummed softly in her ears and her fear faded. It hadn't occurred to her until this moment to call the planet. In fact, not much had occurred to her. She was too busy with the mind numbing panic at being stuck in a tree with hundreds of armed ShinRa soldiers beneath her. Though it had seemed they'd drawn back as she hadn't seen one for awhile before she called the planet.

Didn't matter. With the planet's help she focused her thoughts and sought to calm herself. Her mind was slowly eased by its song and soon the mist of panic that hung over it dissipated. Time became unimportant to her and she truly lost herself in the planet's comfort, so much so, that she didn't notice Sephiroth's return.

He floated in front of the girl, not sure whether he ought to be awed by her ridiculous stupidity or just disappointed. She was asleep. ASLEEP. At a time like this, she'd fallen asleep...in a twenty foot cedar tree...she'd fallen asleep. He had expected her to exhibit the outrageous idiocy of her kind, but this was the kind of idiocy that crossed the border between outrageously stupid and mildly retarded. With a sigh, Sephiroth reflected on his options. He could wake her up but no doubt she wouldn't take it well. And he certainly didn't want her to wake, find herself in such a precarious position and manage to do something even stupider. Like fall out of the tree and alert the ShinRa guards he'd taken such care to divert. And he had taken care to see that they were out of their way, at least for a little while.

ShinRa were a bigger bunch of morons than he figured they were and apparently, fooled with ridiculous ease. They'd been searching downriver for him, knowing that he'd use the water to cover his tracks. Though they assumed he'd take the easy route and follow the stream's current, which made some sense. Going downriver was easier, but predictable. Smirking, at their attempt to out wit him, he stalked the small group of soldiers like a silent jungle cat. Humans were so foolishly unaware of their surroundings.

He'd snuck up on a small garrison and thrown the rocks he'd prepared with the scraps of clothing at them. Hitting one soldier right in the head and the other in his shoulder, he wasn't a range fighter so his terrible aim was forgivable. Though he had been mildly satisfied that he hit the one guard so hard that he'd fallen unconscious and he secretly hoped that the boy would either find himself on the other end of a rather nasty concussion or if he was really lucky, dead. Sephiroth had stayed long enough for one of the foolish officers to see him and call the rest of the rabble in alarm. They didn't disappoint him.

Knowing they had dogs, he knew they'd use the fabric on the rocks he'd thrown at them. He cut his own hand as he ran through the forest, modulating his speed so that the ShinRa could follow but not so close that they'd be able to use their weapons. No doubt they had more of those poison laced bullets in them and he had no desire to have a repeat experience with the girl's cure. He'd led them a far distance away from the tree the girl was in and even farther from the path she'd indicated was their destination. As he'd traveled, he had dragged his open wound over the tops of the bushes and shrubs he ran past. In his other hand, he held the bloodied piece of fabric he'd taken from the girl, rubbing it over the foliage as well. This would give their dogs a nice, neat little trail to follow. A trail that lead to no-where.

He'd quickly flown back to the tree to retrieve the girl to find her asleep. There was nothing to be done about it. Heaving an incredible sigh, he moved in closer and gently pried her hands from the tree's trunk. He surprised himself, he'd never cared much how he treated anyone. Part of him wanted to haul her off that branch and throw her unceremoniously over his shoulder, but in an incredible bout of insanity, he suppressed that urge. Tenderly, he gathered her into his arms and held her close, basking with protective fascination at how her small form seemed to fit so neatly in his embrace. He had expected her to wake at some point but fate smiled on him for once. Waiting for a beat, he just hovered there, holding the girl with a blank look on his face. What the hell was he doing? He shook his head; thinking at this point was a luxury. Looking up into the sky, he willed himself to rise slightly before streaking off towards the river.

As he neared it he slowed, scanning the surface for a place to land. He'd need the girl awake before he could enter the river. A flat, jagged rock that just cut the surface of the water and he quirked an eyebrow up, it would suit his needs nicely. He descended gradually, adjusting it carefully as he landed. One foot hit the surface of the rock and then the other followed, until he stood on it firmly as the raging water swirled around the little stone island. Had anyone seen the spectacle they would have sworn they saw an angel fall to earth, drawn to the river and its blessed waters. An angel with hair the color of glowing moonlight and eyes that were bright with ethereal fire. And in the seraph's arms was a simple mortal, saved by the god's benefice or so it would seem to unknowing eyes.

Sephiroth held the girl with an uncommon gentleness, handling her with care that was so foreign to him. In his entire life, he'd never been treated with much care himself. There were exceptions. Gast. Gast and his wife had been kind to him, but they had left. Disappeared, escaped. Leaving him behind to endure Hojo's seemingly eternal punishment and there was a part of him that realized he'd never escape the scars that man wrought upon him. Why then, did it seem so natural to hold the girl like this? What was this calm feeling that overwhelmed him? Calm that was tinged with bittersweet and regret and fear. In the farthest corner of his soul, he knew he should push these feelings away. Nothing good would come of this. If he stopped it here, now...it wasn't too late. Sephiroth shook the strange and unwelcome thoughts from his mind. He was being ridiculous. This girl was a means to an end. She was his guide, nothing more and once they got themselves out of this situation, they'd be done with each other. He would likely never see her again. His heart clenched at this, though he didn't deign to acknowledge it. Instead, he focused on how he ought to wake her.

Idly, he tossed around the idea of just dumping her in the river. A small, cruel smirked formed on his face which faded just as abruptly as it had appeared. No, she'd probably start screaming if he did that and that wouldn't do, and he couldn't risk her possible injury should anything go wrong. He could shake her, but again, she'd probably not take it so well. Another, entirely inappropriate idea occurred to him and he wondered exactly where it came from. Looking down at her lips, a bright, potent emotion flared inside him and he found himself frozen with alarm by the feeling. His eyes softened and he took in the girl's features. She was unlike other humans. Her hands snaked up and curled around his neck. Unconsciously, he shivered. His eyes flickered to her right wrist pressed limply against his chest. He could barely see the tattoo on the delicate flesh, but it was there all the same. A research specimen. She was a research specimen. He knew what it meant. As much as he disliked to admit it, there was a part of him that was human. He was an experiment, an augmented human. Treated no better than an animal, but human none-the-less, this made his bitterness at his treatment all the more acute.

But this girl... Research specimen were treated no better than experimental specimen. The only difference being, research subjects were generally un-augmented and most assuredly not human. ShinRa had taken great care to gather as many rare, mystical specimen who had links to the planet as they could, hoping, quite vainly he thought, that they'd be able to glean knowledge from them. Many research specimen came and went and little true knowledge was gained. None had ever escaped ShinRa's grasp. None but her, apparently. So, this begged the question, what was she? The girl had power. How much, he couldn't guess. Her aura was damnedably hard to read, and he couldn't get a feel for the exact measure of her strength. Physically, she was quite weak, but in all other ways. She was a mystery. And for this reason, he was absorbed in watching her in her sleep.

The girl was no great beauty. She didn't have a face that would launch a thousand ships, but that sort of beauty had always struck him as incredibly false. Liars hid behind beauty. Evil could hide behind it. Because for all its glory, beauty was ever the best deceiver...after all, most would call him beautiful or handsome, but underneath...he was a monster. A killing machine. They had designed him as such. What better way to strike fear into your enemies than to send a demon in angel's clothing. No, great beauty was nothing more than burnished lies. It could cover the evil and sickness that hid in the heart but it paled in comparison with the true beauty of this girl's spirit. He could feel it in her. This girl's actions showed the purity of her motives, even if he were somewhat unwilling to admit it to her face. Hers was a simple, unfettered beauty. One that sang from the deepest reaches of her soul, it was untainted by lies.

She had risked much in aiding him. No doubt that helicopter she destroyed had made visual contact; he knew the ShinRa equipped all their little toys with the latest video surveillance equipment. They'd seen her. The helicopter's records were most likely already relayed to headquarters. Where she would be identified almost immediately, because if they'd caught her before, her photo was saved somewhere in their records. They'd be able to assign a name to a face, add to that the tattoo that branded her as an escaped research specimen. It meant they'd be looking for her as hard as they were looking for him. She had risked her freedom and her life to help him. Why, he couldn't guess. He had decided right then, that she was worthy of his limited and temporary trust and he was glad suddenly, that he got a chance to see real beauty in the flesh. As he regarded her with an imperceptible smile on his face, she chose that moment to wake up.

"Did you sleep well?"

The rumbling sound of a deep, very masculine voice caused her eyes to instantly snap open. The first thing she became aware of was the long tendril of silver hair that tickled her cheek and pooled over her eyes, obscuring her vision ever so slightly. Next came the realization that she was resting against something firm and warm. Arms encircled her, one at her back, another cradling her legs. Her head was nestled into someone's neck and she was dimly aware that whoever it was smelled kind of nice. The time communing with the planet had left her disoriented and after a few minutes of mental calculation, she remembered the last few hours. She looked up suddenly, startled to realize who was holding her. And then she remembered him leaving her in that tree and stealing her ribbon and cutting her hand...and finally his most current cutting remark registered and her eyes widened with outrage. The NERVE of that man!

"You.." she stated with breathless rage, "YOU! YOU!" Aeris stopped, her anger overwhelming her ability to speak before she started anew, "You JERK!" She hissed, smacking his chest with one small hand. "You left me in that tree!"

"Hn. So I did. You didn't seem to mind so much when I found you." He replied with cool disdain, his deep voice empty of anything vaguely resembling emotion. "You're almost cute when you're asleep."

Aeris flushed, knowing very well it wasn't a compliment but a comment made to fluster her. Her cheeks blew out as she stammered to respond, "I-I...I wuh-w-wasn't asleep! And I wasn't enjoying myself at all!"

He smirked and she could tell what he was thinking. And she didn't like it one bit. His face and his voice were blank sheets of paper; even so, she could see the teasing arrogance behind them. He was making fun of her, the bastard. She was so confused. Was he? He was flirting with her, in his own, strangely cold way. He _was _flirting! Her cheeks burned bright red. She'd never done well underneath the scrutiny of a good looking man and she had been alright about things when she thought she hated her. But...his flirting brought her more tongue-tied nature to the fore front.

She wanted to give him a cutting remark, wanted to be all cool and unemotional as she had been back at camp earlier. But the words got tangled on the way from her brain to her mouth and instead, all she could do was just open and close her mouth like a fish. Gods, she was an idiot! Aeris then became quite aware of her position in his arms and the sudden need to be out of it became unbearably urgent. Immediately after that thought, she began to struggle and squirm, hitting at him when he didn't let go. He gave a light laugh or snort, she wasn't sure which...but whatever it was, it was clearly meant to be derisive.

"...You...y-you let m-me guh-go..." She stuttered, ineffectually battering his chest with her fist.

"Are you sure?" He drawled, loosening his grip ever so slightly, just to hear her squeal.

She didn't disappoint, as her attention was finally drawn to where they were. Her eyes widened at the churning river below. Would he drop her? His grip loosened some more and she could feel herself slipping from his arms. She squeaked, frantically scrambling upwards, her hands clinging to his shirt as she struggled to find purchase. With terrible slowness, she could feel her legs slipping, his fingers just brushing the backs of her knees. Aeris closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself to him more closely. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she hated herself for what she was about to do.

"Please...don't let me go..." She begged, her words lost as her mouth was pressed against the flesh of his neck.

She noticed him visibly flinch at the feel of her breath against his skin, which just caused her to blush more fiercely. Aeris waited, nearly feeling the gears in his head as they turned. It was horrible. His grip slackened again and she squealed; her heart pounding as she waited to feel her body plunge into the cold river.

"Please!" She pleaded, this one word sounding so desperately sad that even someone without a heart couldn't fail to be moved. "I can't...I cuh-can't..."

"Can't what?"

"I can't swim..." She admitted, her voice was so soft and it trembled with fear and shame.

Underneath his fingers, he could feel her shaking. She'd attached herself to the fabric of his shirt with a death grip. Her hold was so hard and so desperate, that he could feel her nails as they dug through the material. With a long sigh, he mentally chuckled, before tightening his hold on her. That negative side of himself chided him for being so emotional, for trying to act so human. Holding onto the strings of his mortal existence was foolish. He should let them go, and become the god the west wind wanted him to be. But this feeling was too much like heaven. The wind, it wanted to anchor him. To turn him to its will...but he was free and being free meant he could do as he pleased. What kind of god would take orders from the wind? And who wanted to be a god anyway...when heaven could be found and touched, if only for a moment.

"Don't worry. I won't drop you. But..." He said, trailing off to let her know there were conditions to this agreement.

She lifted her head from its place at his neck, "...But?"

"But you _will_ have to swim..."

"..But...But I can't! I never learned!" She cried, the edges of her voice were torn with unreleased tears.

"It's alright." He said, shocked that he felt the need to reassure her, "Hold on to me tightly...I won't let you drown, I promise."

Gently, he eased the girl down, repressing his feelings as her body slipped down the entire length of his own. As her feet touched the surface of the rock, she managed to remain plastered next to him, her small hands still fisting his shirt. He practically had to pull her hands, finger by finger, off the fabric.

"I'll be going in first..." He explained, trying to sound reassuring and failing entirely, his voice came out in the same flat, monotone without a hint of care, "...then I want you to jump in."

The girl just stood there mutely, her hands clutched together tightly. She nodded, looking at the water with the terror of one who expected to drown the minute she set foot in it. He sighed and slipped in the water, his head dunking underneath the surface for a moment before popping back up. Treading water, he grabbed onto the side of the rock before holding out his hand to her. She looked at it, then him, then it, then the water and then back to him again. He SO didn't deserve her trust. Not after leaving her in the tree...even if he did come back and get her. He snapped his fingers to get her attention. She met his eyes reluctantly and she could see the venom in them. If the look on his face could be given a voice, it'd be angry and commanding. It said 'Get in or else'. She didn't particularly want to find out the or else, but she didn't particularly want to get into that churning mass of watery death either. Aeris bit her lip and glanced at him, shaking her head. No, this was too much. They'd just have to find another way.

"Get in."

Aeris rolled those words over in her mind. They sounded much more menacing when spoken by him than when he said them in her head. She looked down at the water flowing around the rock. It curved and twirled around it, creating little whirlpools and trailing currents that were beautiful, in a completely menacing way. Nervously, she tore her lip to shreds and shook her head. There was no way she was jumping in this river.

"Get in or so help me, I'll throw you in myself."

Aeris stared at him as her face blanched. _He wouldn't_.

"I would." He said, answering her mental question as it had been clearly plastered on her face.

His hand had remained proffered and timidly, she took it, toeing one foot into the water. Before she could register anything else, he yanked her in and she screamed. He would have regretted doing that, if she hadn't been dunked underwater before her cry could be sounded. She came up a few seconds later, completely wet and terrified and very, very angry. In between vicious coughing fits, she hissed invectives at him while at the same time, she clung to him for dear life. He had to admit to himself, she was the most amusing person he'd ever met. Once she settled down, he managed to convince her to swivel around, so that she clung to his back. And cling she did. So tightly that he had to ask her on several occasions to loosen her grip, lest he choke to death and drown them both. The trip upriver wasn't easy, even for someone with his augmented strength. Hauling the girl as dead weight didn't help matters but he wasn't one to complain, unless of course it meant getting a rise of her, which was easy to do. Way too easy. He was musing on this when he just barely managed to spot a ShinRa guard before they spotted them.

"Take a deep breath. Now."

That was all the warning she got before he plunged suddenly underwater. She was going to ask why and opened her mouth to voice the question, when it was suddenly filled with gallon upon gallon of water. Her first response was to loosen her grip and try for the surface. But her waking mind realized the folly of that and quickly grabbed onto the fabric of her companion's shirt before it slid away from her. Using her hold on the material to pull her forward, she slipped her hands back around his neck. It was hard to hold on, not only because of how fast a swimmer he was but because she could feel her lungs screaming for air. It didn't help that she had a tickle in the back of her throat from swallowing so much water. And the constant, violent rhythm of his body as it pushed against the water was doing no good either.

She felt like she was either going to pass out for lack of air or vomit. Neither of which seemed like palatable plans for the near future. Getting out of this river, now there was a plan. And just when she thought she might die, they surfaced abruptly underneath the hanging boughs of a bush at the rivers edge. She took a breathless intake of air, sucking in as much as she could in one breath. Before she could expel it in a series of hacking coughs, a hand went over her mouth. She caught it with her own, trying to drag it away in desperate confusion. Aeris opened her mouth to bite the offending hand, thinking only of her own need to breathe. The hand jerked over her mouth and she was dragged closer to the firm body behind her.

"Don't." whispered a stern, warning voice.

She moved her head back, trying to look back at the voice while air came in sucking gasps in between the fingers over her mouth. Aeris dimly decided to listen to the voice as her more basic instincts receded and reason was restored. Her hands slipped from the hand that covered her mouth and she nodded slowly. Sephiroth's hand left her mouth, tracing a trail down her chin and neck as it left. She turned in his hold and held onto him, not wanting to know anything else but the feeling of someone near her. Aeris was firmly out of her element and she didn't like the feeling one bit. They hid there for several very long, very tense minutes, clinging to each other. On one hand, it felt odd to be so near a stranger and yet there was a eerie familiarity to the feeling. She shook it away and held onto him just a bit tighter. Whatever had spooked him had apparently passed as he cautiously swam back out into the river, with her clinging tenaciously to his back.

For the remainder of the journey they stayed close to the edge and Aeris could say without reservation that she wasn't at all pleased by this. The low hanging branches from the bushes and trees near the water's edge constantly pulled at her hair and face. She had to bite her lip to keep from gasping every time it happened. If that wasn't bad enough, she'd beaned her head on a low hanging log a minute ago and she was sure to develop a nasty welt. She could blame Sephiroth for all of this, if only he weren't helping her evade the ShinRa. So being mad at him only made her feel guilty and having no release for her frustration, the emotion had no where to go. And she just wanted to cry. A nice, long uninterrupted sob session would do nicely right now. How in the world had she gotten herself into this? Oh yes, that was right. Her undying need to help everything, whether it be animal, mineral or vegetable, in need. Stupid, stupid Aeris.

They traveled for god knows how long. It was awhile, if she judged by the state of her fingers alone. They were all pruney. When Sephiroth finally stepped onto the shore, she'd never been more grateful for solid ground in her life. He let her down slowly, and she slipped off his back, reluctantly loosening her hold on his neck. Once her feet touched the ground, she was surprised to find her legs felt weak, like they were made of wet noodles. The sensation was alarming and she could feel them buckling beneath her but before she could fall, he caught her. His had was at her elbow, holding her up with his immense strength. She warranted that she must seem awfully weak to him and was sure that despite the look on his face, holding her up like this was a trifling matter for him.

"Lead the way."

His voice was soft but there was command laced within it. Again, she felt irked at being treated like a solider under command, but she complied to his order without question...this time. Aeris led him through a morass of bushes and undergrowth that had once resembled a path. They'd gone quite a distance up river. She hadn't noticed it until they got out, obviously, but they were miles from their location. It'd take quite a bit of backtracking to get to their destination. Not to mention the fact that though the ShinRa had been diverted, there were still quite a concentration of them in the woods. Now they were scattered, having no idea where they'd gone but they were there none-the-less. And the distant whirring of helicopter blades didn't soothe her nerves in the least.

Sooner or later, a direct confrontation was inevitable. Quietly pushing her way through a particularly bad tangle of brush, Aeris felt the first of many droplets of water hit her arm, and then her neck. She shivered and looked at the sky, almost begging it not to do what it was about to do. With a hopeful smile, she peered at the mass of roiling grey clouds above them. The sky answered, a rumbling of thunder was heard, followed by a flash of lightening that whitened the sky and after that came a torrential downpour. The large drops of water hit her disbelieving face, soaking every last of inch of her to the bone within seconds. Sighing heavily, she pushed back her water heavy hair and continued on. It wasn't like she could get any wetter, anyway.

The sun turned slowly and day dissolved into the milky film of night. Still they walked, and though Aeris was the only one who knew the way, she was also the only one that was weary. Internally, she kept asking herself if she was going to get there yet. She yearned for the dry warmth of the preserved shrine. There were dry clothes there and a nice dry place for a fire to be lit and dry food...and lots of other things that were dry. If Sephiroth was irritated by their current situation, she'd never know it. He hadn't said a word in hours. Bastard didn't even look tired. About two hours ago she asked if he was okay and he had answered curtly why he wouldn't be and that had effectively killed all conversation. Apparently, he trusted her enough now not to even ask where they were going. Which both pleased and annoyed her.

Finally, the small copse of bushes that hid the shrine could be seen and a heavy sigh of relief left her lips. Nearly running for it, she pushed them back, heedless of the noise she made. It didn't matter if the ShinRa found them now. Not when they were so close. Once they made it to the Sequoia, they were home free. The great tree had promised to protect them once they reached the grounds until then. Nothing could go wrong.

And then...it did.

The unlikely couple set foot in the shrine grounds Aeris had found days earlier. She felt the comfortable silence and the swirling emotions of the past as the ruins came to life for her once more. Even Sephiroth seemed sort of impressed by the grounds. Looking around curiously as the rain pounded his silent form. Despite the general gloominess of night and the fact that it was raining, Aeris felt, for the first time in three days, very, very happy. She smiled and for a moment, she stopped to enjoy the moment. To hear the whispering song of the rain as it hit the ancient pavement. To feel the water as it caressed her skin on its way from the sky to the ground. To just feel, period. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, she looked over at him and gave him a genuine smile.

"We're here." She whispered to him.

He stared at her for a moment, a strange look passing over his face as he held her with his eyes. Her heart felt like it might stop for a moment. She wanted to look away but her gaze was rooted and would not move. Her smile softened and unconsciously, she moved forward. It was and was not a surprise that he did the same. And when they were a hair's breath away from each other, the dry sound of a hammer clicking into place stopped them both cold. Even through the soft pattering of rain, that sound could be heard. It was as loud as thunder and right behind Sephiroth's head.

"You may have fooled Heidegger's idiots...but you can't fool us..." said the voice behind the gun as it paused for a beat before beginning again, edged with pure icy, derision,"...General."

The expression on her companion's face up to that point had almost been soft. As if he shared her joy in getting away clean, securing their freedom for even a short time was something to be celebrated. Instinctively, she knew he'd cherish a moment like that just like she would. They were different sides of the same coin, after all. Now it darkened imperceptibly with unbridled hate. His hand reached for his sword, ready to strike out at the voice in the darkness. That voice that wanted to deny them both freedom. A voice that was so familiar, and Aeris peered into the dark to see if she could put a face and a name to it. But her night vision was just terrible and all she could see was a dark form standing just behind Sephiroth. His fingers curled around the hilt of the sword and he tensed a moment before he was about to draw it out.

"Ahnt-ah-uh...General. Wouldn't do that if I were you." taunted the voice.

And from the bushes stepped about a dozen armed Turks, their guns all trained on them. Aeris could feel her heart hammering in her chest. Her throat went dry and it took every bit of energy she had left not to cry. This situation had gone from bad to worse in a blink of an eye. Sephiroth was clearly just as unhappy as she, though she felt that he was perhaps a skosh angrier than she was. His hands left the sword and he held them up, his face twisting with unmistakable hate. Sephiroth turned his head slightly to view the owner of the voice as he stepped from behind him. The gun was still leveled at his head. He wasn't frightened of the pathetic weapon or the man who held it. No, he wasn't frightened at all. It would be far too easy to relieve him of it, but the lackeys that surrounded him would no doubt pump him full of more of those poison laced bullets. And the girl would get caught in the crossfire. For all the annoyance she caused, he owed her a debt of gratitude.

"You can put the guns down. I'll go quietly. Just leave the girl out of this." He stated calmly, lacing his fingers behind his head to show that he was no threat.

The dark haired menace that started this whole mess merely smirked. Wondering at the General's response and how quickly he agreed to be taken peacefully, and all for the safety of one traitorous little chippie. So, the rumors about him were apparently quite false. For the first time, the Turk regarded the dear General's female companion. _'What kind of girl would capture Ol' Stoneface's fancy?_' He thought, with faint amusement which abruptly faded once he laid eyes on her.

"Aeris?"

There was a moment of silence. A long tense moment before the girl responded haltingly.

"Ts..T-Tseng?"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

A-HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! CLIFFHANGER! I am evil.

You are allowed to show your displeasure now. But I kid.

Okay. Sorry this took so long. But as I've said before...I DO have five other stories I'm juggling here. I'm doing the best I can, considering I'm the one who caused the mess in the first place. Don't worry, I will continue to bring you quality product at below the market prices!

Also. I wanted to point to my profile page, because I have news! For all y'all out there without fan fiction dot net accounts, I have created a convienent service! I now have a mailing list. Currently I've only been announcing when the latest chapter of La Vie En Rose updates, but if I get a few more users, I'll start announcing my other chapters as well. So everyone will know when I'm doing stuff. So give me a holler in your review or just follow the link to join and all will be well.

Until next update!

Ciao

Noa


	10. Hope of Delieverance

_And I wouldn't mind knowing, knowing_

_That you wouldn't mind going, going along with my plan_

_When it will be right, I don't know_

_What it will be like, I don't know_

_We live in hope of deliverance from the darkness that surrounds us_

_--Paul McCartney_

"_Tseng?_"

The peculiar lilt of her voice struck him like a block of ice thrown straight at his chest. _Tseng?_ The questioning way she said it made him pause to replay it in his mind over and over and over again. _Tseng?_ As if she was asking him a question, as if she were questioning why he was here, as if she knew him. Yes, she recognized him. Therefore she knew him and he knew her, because his voice had the same question. So, if he knew her and she knew him, and they were here now together, what a lucky coincidence this might well be. Depending, of course, on your point of view. Yes, lucky, _lucky_ coincidence.

Inwardly, he seethed but outwardly all he did was narrow his eyes so slightly that you could barely tell the difference.

All time had stopped it seemed, because no one had moved from their respective spots. Not a sound was heard. Not a sound but the beating rain, which increased its pace tenfold. It pelted the weary travelers and the Turks surrounding them, driving infinitesimal holes into the soft earth beneath their feet. Sephiroth was the first to move.

He turned his head very, very slowly, so as no to spook the Turk into shooting him. There were things to do and confirm before he killed him, and he'd certainly want the chance to do that uninjured. He leveled a very unkind glare at the girl, searching her face for what he feared.

She didn't notice his movement or his coolly questioning gaze. No, she was actually walking out from behind him to get a better look at the Turk. Her head was tilted to the side in a gesture which, if he were free to think such things, might be considered cute or endearing. To him, it was simply one of the many unconscious gestures that made her who she was and nothing more. Still, the way she reacted to the Turk irked him and made his desire to end the man's life all the more potent. She moved out from the protection he offered. She moved forward and past him. Towards the Turk and his eyes followed her.

There was no definitive clue. No moment when he said to himself, "AHA! I knew it!" There was only a piercing kind of cold fire that flared briefly in his chest. He knew, deep in his heart he knew...

"What are you doing here?" She asked as if she were innocent of the rapidly burning suspicion that ate at his heart.

_Recognition. Noun. Definition...The act of recognizing or condition of being recognized_.

The Turk's eyes flickered to him and back to the girl.

"Aeris, there's no time to explain. Get behind me, now."

_Alternate definition...The form of memory that consists in knowing or feeling that a present object has been met before_.

"Why?"

The Turk's eyes left her and locked onto his own.

..._The state or quality of being acknowledged_...

"Aeris, get behind me." He said slowly, raising his left hand out to beckon to the girl. The other hand slowly moved up to train the gun on Sephiroth.

The girl looked at him quizzically, shrinking back a little from the intense emotion in his voice. Tseng had always been so cool, so calm. But the fear in his voice, the slight worried inflection when he pressed her to get behind him. He was afraid. Why should he be afraid? Then she remembered Sephiroth. She followed his gaze, wanting to see what he saw. And what she saw was fury in its purest form. He was gazing at Tseng with the kind of hate one reserved for only one's mortal enemy.

She knew that he'd been enhanced with mako, having noticed its subtle glow when he was in-between waking and dreaming. It had unnerved her, particularly when she had to change his bandages at night because his eyes would open briefly and illuminate the small tent with an eerie, otherworldly light. Then, they glowed softly with a gentle, firefly-like light. It was strange to be sure, but not much stranger than being able to cast magic without materia. Not much stranger than hearing the planet's voice. And she had to admit, she kind of liked the way his eyes glowed. But that was then...and this was now. _Now_, they burned with feral, unquenchable fire and were murderously bright with unrestrained rage.

The rain pounded harder. Lightening struck suddenly, blinding her momentarily. A thunder-crack sounded just afterwards, so loud that it felt like her heart had been set off its rhythm. And when she could see again, his burning gaze had turned to her. He emanated hate. It was a solid aura of black that surrounded him and she could feel him give into it. He looked at her like she was an insect and to him, she was.

The girl was nothing more than one of them. Those others that had caged him and abused him his entire life. She'd used him. She'd lied to him. And she would die for it. They all would. Though the wind was silent and it did not blow, he could hear its sibilant whisper. It used no words, no pictures. No images to illustrate its message. It was an almost calming presence in the back of his mind letting him know that it thought he was right. Telling him that the girl should die for her impudence, for daring to lie to him...for being so arrogant as to think she could fool him with her pretty eyes and her so-called kindhearted care of him. Nothing but vapid mendacity. Her obsequious and foolish deception wasn't going to go unpunished.

And the West wind urged him on. Yes, he would start with the Turk. He'd slaughter him before her eyes and then he'd turn his sword on her.

And after that...

After that...

His eyes darkened for a moment as his hand moved for his sword. Simultaneously, the Turk aimed and cocked his gun, his finger now carefully squeezing the trigger. The girl's head spun towards the sound. She shouted something unintelligible and flung her hand outwards. A shot rang out. Something drove into his chest. And he realized it was the girl. She'd caught him off guard, using a common street girl's technique. With a jab to the back of his knee, and a simple push to the chest, she'd taken him down. He fell and on his way down grabbed her, ready to wring the life out of her pretty little neck once things were settled. Bright yellow light erupted from her still outstretched hand. And he hit the ground, hard.

The thin layer of earth that had covered the temple's broken cobblestones had been washed away by the rain. So when she pushed him, his head hit naked brick rather than soft earth. Stars exploded behind his eyes and for a scant few seconds, the world was all black and white. He lay there for a good long time, his mind clouded and in pain. Not just from the sharp blow to the head but also from a strange and rather unnatural mental fog. It clawed at him. Howled its rage at him for his failure but what he'd failed at, he couldn't be sure. Though he was quite sure that he didn't like the way it felt. It pushed at him, trying to rekindle the flame of righteous fury he felt before. But he didn't quite feel angry anymore. Just tired. And sore.

There was something on top of him. Something soft. His eyes opened and through the haze of hurt and rain, he could see the vague form of the girl. She'd fallen on-top of him. He could see the crown of her head as it lay on his chest. Her dark brown hair was soaked with water and as she sat up, it plastered itself to her face. She moved her thick bangs back with one hand as she looked back, her mouth open as she panted with exhaustion. He watched the water dripping off her dark lashes to land on her cheek, driving downward to roll over her parted lips. She gulped air, and his eyes strayed from her mouth to her neck as she swallowed hard. And from her neck to her chest, which heaved with each shuddering breath.

_Temptress_...

She looked down at him briefly. Long enough to judge that he was out cold, or so she thought. And then she got up and walked away from him. He steeled himself for the expected. They'd drug him, restrain him and take him back. The Gods only knew whether or not this would be his last night alive. Perhaps they'd euthanize him like a good dog gone bad. He'd bitten his master after all and he had to be punished. Maybe they'd be less forgiving then that. Death for something like him was a mercy. No, they'd probably find all new tests to perform on him that would be even more painful for their newness. He'd likely be strapped to a table, never to see sun or sky again. His only friends the sweet release of unconsciousness and the drugs they'd give him.

To his complete and utter surprise, nothing like that happened.

His eyes opened slowly as his mind cleared and true consciousness was regained. He looked blindly upward, his eyes quickly narrowing to keep out the rain. Electric veins of lightening pumped illumination in ever spreading waves across the dark clouds that covered the sky in night. With thunder as its foreboding heartbeat, the storm raged above him, all purple and black. Every now and then, there would be a flash of light and just barely the world around him was defined for an instant. Until then, it was nothing but formless shapes and indistinct contours.

The mud beneath him squelched uncomfortably. There was a warm but agonizing pulse at the back of his head. Lifting a hand, he gently probed the area. He winced when he found the spot and when he drew his hand back it was red. Even in the driving rain, as it cleaned his hand of his own blood, it was red. The fall had injured him enough to break skin. He could only hope he didn't have a concussion. Lying on the cold ground wasn't doing him any good. Carefully, he pushed himself up, groaning and wincing as each and every ache in his body made itself known. His hand to his head, he looked around.

The West Wind was gone now and he didn't carry the same flame of vengeance that he had before, but he was still quite angry. And he wasn't quite sure whether or not he still wanted to kill the girl. The logical side of him argued that killing her, though distasteful, was probably for the best. When one required stealth, as he did, one could not leave witnesses. The less logical side of him argued, very heatedly, that he shouldn't kill her. She might be a traitor, but she was still a woman. Moreover, she was unarmed and clearly no match for him. Besides, what could she tell them that they didn't already know?

He'd by necessity have to kill most of the Turks here or at the very least incapacitate them. Which would be aggravating for him in of and of itself, because no doubt ShinRa would use it to their advantage. He was sure they'd have a pretty hefty bounty on him by morning, if they didn't already have one by now. ShinRa was nothing but shameless when it came to promoting its interests. He was sure their propaganda machine was working overtime to paint him in the worst possible light.

They had raised him up, and put him on a pedestal that he hadn't asked to be set on. He'd never wanted to be their god. Freedom. That's all he ever longed for. The only time he'd ever been free were the few years they'd allowed him to spend in an actual military school. That freedom had been snatched away once it was clear he was much too strong to mix with "normal" people. Once a caged animal gets a taste of true freedom, it longs for it ever afterward. It was a bitter thought, but he knew that's how they regarded him anyway. And it was the sad truth. It wasn't just the freedom to make his own choices he'd learned about. He learned that the way they treated him wasn't right. He learned that others didn't live that way.

The other boys at the military school had mothers and fathers. They had sisters, brothers, grandmothers, little baby cousins, uncles, aunts, and childhood friends. And all these people, whether related or not, loved them. They cared for them. Took care of each other. They grew up knowing these people. Depending on them.

Normal children were born into this world knowing these things.

They had homes to go along with their happy families. They had a place where they belonged, in more ways than one. Home. It was a word he used. One he'd thought he was familiar with until he heard others talk about their homes. Their homes were nothing like his. And if he didn't feel abnormal for not knowing his mother and father, knowing that his concept of home was wrong made this feeling more acute.

Home was a physical place for them. But it was also something that anchored them mentally and emotionally. Home was where their families were. Home was where they grew up. Home was a place of comfort and safety. Home was a place you could go back to where you were accepted.

He had none of these things. And as he quietly listened, the knowledge sank in that he was anything but normal. He wasn't like the other children, and the realization horrified and sickened him.

He wasn't normal. He was wrong.

Such a realization would be hard for a full grown man to take, but for an eight year old child it was devastating. And there was no one in the world that he could confide in to make things better.

As the days and months and years passed this knowledge of his wrongness ate at him. To the point that he could barely stand talking to other people, so he stopped talking as much, allowing the normals to brag about their great and perfect lives that they resented, devalued, and were wholly unappreciative of. But his annoyance with them and his envy didn't stop when he refused to speak because listening was even worse. So he stopped doing that too. He withdrew himself. Cocooning himself in his studies. When he wasn't studying, he was practicing to become a better killing machine. And when he wasn't doing that, he was alone and thinking.

While normal human beings laughed and loved and played, he thought. He thought about his life, which was a joke. He thought about all the various ways he wasn't like them and he wondered why. Why was he so different?

The first time he was actually brave enough to ask that question was when he was twelve, after he'd accidentally broken another cadet's arm. He hadn't meant to. They had been practicing holds and it was his turn. He'd done the same thing everyone else had but he forgot to watch his strength. Instead of simply immobilizing his partner, he'd snapped the bones in his partner's arm neatly in two.

They never answered his question. They just drugged him and stuck him back in his old cell. From that day forward, he was isolated from extraneous human contact. His only visitors were the scientists, his tutors, and his martial arts instructors.

Sure, he hadn't liked the other children while at the academy, but he had freedom there. He could see the sky. He could wander away and walk in the woods, feel the sun on his face if only for a few moments. And though he wasn't normal, didn't have a normal life, he yearned for it. He saw the happiness in the faces of his peers when talking about home and family, and he wanted that.

Yes, once you gave an animal freedom. Once you showed them what they were missing, they would never forget. And he hadn't.

Normal human beings only went to the doctor's when they were sick. And the doctor certainly never came to them. Never gave them tests they didn't ask for or really need. And if they did, those doctors always told them why. Real human beings knew their parents. They knew who they came from and where. Real human beings had a childhood. They laughed and played. They tried to count the stars in their mother's arms. They sat on their father's shoulders and wondered if they'd be so tall. They played silly little games with their stuffed animals. They didn't have swords shoved in their young hands by uncaring instructors who'd beat them if they weren't as perfect as they could be. They were given warm hugs and kisses. Human beings, real human beings didn't live in a sterile cell with no windows. They had locks on their doors, but not ones they themselves couldn't open.

Every-time they'd lock him back up in that cell he thought about that. Every single time the red light blinked over his door indicating the locks were engaged. Every single time he heard the giant bolts to the vault-like door to his cell click heavily into place. Every single, damn time they turned out the lights without waiting to see if he was in bed or even, in fact, sleepy. He knew. He couldn't forget. He remembered.

The only people who lived like this were prisoners and animals. He'd learned that and he knew what he was. They'd shown him. He was a prisoner to himself but an animal to them. No matter which one he actually was, part of him knew he was a bit of both. He wasn't normal. Wasn't fully human.

And everyone else in this world had a place in it but him because of that.

_Again_, he tasted freedom, and _again_ it was going to be wrenched away from him. This time by the Turk and that awful little slip of a girl. If he managed to escape from this latest ShinRa engineered trap, he would be ensnared by the next one...or the one after that. And if he didn't fall to ShinRa, he'd fall to some would-be hero, looking to score the undoubtedly huge bounty on his head.

Sadly, he wanted to avoid such nuisances, and if he were to do that he'd have to keep a low profile. This would require a measure of stealth if he wanted to keep the bastards off his trail. And leaving a messy trail of bodies was in no way a very stealthy way of hiding one's path. So it was decided, he wouldn't kill the Turks. Just disable them, hopefully beating a speedy retreat. But the West Wind disagreed. It whistled through the trees, calling him coward for sparing his enemies. He swatted the wind away as he got to his feet, his eyes finding the girl's form in the dark. It was silhouetted by the rapidly blinking sky. Something was strange. She was walking around the clearing, bending down to pick something up, and then standing again. She'd paused, working the thing she'd picked up in her small hands. She'd then drop it and then throw whatever it was she'd taken from the item she'd dropped.

He must have hit his head very hard indeed. Then it suddenly occurred him what she was doing and what had happened or he could guess what had happened. Every single last Turk had been knocked out. He could see their limp bodies lying on the ground in-between flashes of lightening. Quietly, he approached one and kicked them in the chest. He groaned. Still alive. She'd put them to sleep. His gaze turned swiftly back to the girl, watching her motions carefully again. She was taking their weapons. Taking their weapons, ejecting their clips, emptying them and then throwing the bullets into the bushes, and his question of the day was why?

Wasn't she with them?

The West Wind whispered yes, but his gut said no. Some would be surprised to know that the Great General Sephiroth was a believer in following intuition. They probably believed all the ShinRa fabricated lies about him. That he was a cool, logical, killing machine, who'd murder his own mother for a gil. That he was without pity or mercy. There was a kernel of truth in those fabrications...but like anything so small it was insignificant. A half-baked generalization of his character, meant to grace the interior of promotional pamphlets and the fronts of tabloid magazines.

Yes, he followed his intuition quite often, and most times it was right.

She was disarming them which meant she probably wasn't with them. And the tone that had irritated him so much. Now that he really had time to think about it wasn't quite as friendly as he thought it to be. Yes, there was recognition. She had to know the Turk but her tone wasn't entirely welcoming. More like, surprised. Unpleasantly so.

She hadn't seen him yet and he imperceptibly melted into the shadows. He watched as she made her rounds, disarming the Turks one by one. It was rather boring. Except for one moment, when she paused and kicked one of the Turks square in the shin. She mumbled something under her breath about tree climbing not being fun before moving on to the next one.

So, she knew them but wasn't with them. Curious.

It made sense, though. If she were a research specimen, she'd have contact with them...lots of contact with them, seeing as she was an _escaped _research specimen. Though her familiarity with them was disconcerting, it was somewhat understandable. There was something more to it, but he was sure it wasn't what he feared.

His thoughts were abruptly terminated when he noticed she'd finished. The girl had returned to the spot he'd previously occupied. She looked down at the area with consternation, and then looked up. Her eyes traveled the horizon, not perturbed by the violent storm that raged around her. A bitter kind of smirk flickered across her face before disappearing into indifference.

"Who cares about him anyway..." She muttered to herself as she turned to leave, "...stupid, ungrateful jerk."

Lightening rolled across the sky, with thunder tumbling nosily after it. The rain pounded a bit harder and a bit colder. He'd heard everything she'd said and he wasn't sure if he was angry with her or amused. Maybe he was both. He was aggravated with her, because the longer he knew her, the more mysteriously perplexing she became. On the outside, she seemed so simple, so plain. But she was anything but.

The girl was a rather skillfully put together oil painting. At first glance, she didn't seem so special. It wasn't until you came a bit closer to the canvas to examine the brush work that you noticed what a work of art you had on you hands. Where there was flat color from far away. Close up, there was layer upon delicate layer. It made him wonder how the artist had fooled him so easily. He had underestimated this girl. Underestimated her greatly.

A mistake he was sure he wouldn't repeat.

She left the courtyard and moved towards a large pile of rubble that at one time had been stairs. He followed quietly behind. She made stumbling progress over the slick rubble, slipping more than occasionally. If he were inclined to find humor in things, he might have laughed at her. He knew her reaction to being laughed at would be priceless. His eyes softened a bit as he thought of the indignant face she might make.

They quickly hardened again with the quiet realization that he was becoming too fond of her. He quashed any remotely positive thoughts about her and focused on the perturbation she caused. Yes, she was a problem. A very large problem and a thorn in his side, and any reaction, no matter how amusing, would not sway his heart. Willing himself not to feel, he continued to watch her with detached bemusement, floating quietly over her while she struggled.

Ten minutes passed and she finally managed to climb her way up the fallen staircase. He waited for her on the other side, swimming in the shadows, watching to see what she was up to. This place that she wanted to take him to was quite strange. The other area was worn down to nearly to the foundations. They barely even qualified as ruins. Yet, here, on the other side of the staircase, everything seemed to be untouched by time.

He was surprised and a bit disturbed by this. The girl either didn't care or didn't notice. She walked across the pristine cobblestone courtyard with a determined gait, as if she knew where she was going. This courtyard was much larger than the one they exited and it had a bloody great tree smack in the middle of it. His eyes left the girl for a moment to look at the tree. It was the biggest tree he'd ever seen and though he wasn't easily impressed, he did have to spare a moment of awe as he gazed at it.

She walked up to the tree and put a hand on it. Stepping from the shadows, he quirked up an eyebrow and tilted his head. What in the world was she doing? Curious, he watched her for a few minutes. And as the minutes grew too long for his tastes, he became irritated. She didn't move from her spot. Her hand was firmly planted on the bark of the tree and she seemed to be talking to it. No, irritation wasn't a strong enough word for what he felt now. Why did she have to be such an enigma? What was she hiding?

Incensed. Yes, he was incensed by her mystery. Incensed that she was as abnormal and wrong as him, yet she seemed to accept it. He could tell by the smooth and confident way she did everything. As if she'd never in her life questioned why she was what she was. She wasn't like them. She clearly wasn't human but she acted as if she were. Yet she was like them, in that she didn't seem conflicted about her place in the world. It was...irksome. No, it was worse than irksome.

It was infuriating.

And the fact that he'd wasted so much time on her made him even angrier.

Why was he following her anyway?

Because before he left, he wanted to know. He had to know. Why was she the way she was? What the hell was she anyway? Yes, he was here because she owed him answers. She brought up too many questions and he wasn't willing to leave them unanswered. He came up behind her, sword drawn. It was as deadly as the lightening that illuminated it and he brought it up to rest at the side of her neck. He let it hover there, just touching her enough to let her know she wasn't alone. To let her know what danger she'd put herself in.

Ever the enigma, she didn't react as he expected her to. He made a memo to himself not to expect much from her in the future then. She didn't turn. She didn't even flinch. Her back straightened a bit and her head turned. An annoyingly mild reaction.

"So...you're still here."

"That I am." He replied, coldly, "I trusted you."

"Did you?"

He didn't answer her, annoyed that her question had pretty much hit the mark. Even if it was only implied. No, he didn't trust her. Not completely.

"Isn't this the part where you threaten me? Because if it is, I'd like to get it over with, it's been a busy night and I'm tired."

"No threats."

"Funny, you say that with a sword to my neck." She retorted, "Maybe you and the dictionary should have a little chat over the definition of what is and what is not a 'threat'."

"I have questions I want answered."

"And you think you'll find them at the point of a sword."

"People tend to be more honest when they're afraid for their lives."

"No, they tend to tell you whatever you want to hear, with the hope that you might spare their life." She fired back, sounding more amused than afraid, "A hope that I'm sure many have wished but few have been granted. Especially with someone like you."

"Oh, and you know me so well?"

"I know your kind. You're all alike. Cruel, heartless people who only think about themselves and what's good for them at the moment."

His eyes flashed and he snapped, "And you're so much better than me...from where I sit, you ARE no better. You're nothing more than a self-important, arrogant child."

"That saved your life...twice." She said, with a small triumphant smile, "Nice thank you by the way. I really appreciate the gesture, though I think this last part might be a bit lost on me..."

His lips tightened and his eyes narrowed. How like them she was. He should just kill her. It would be deliriously easy. She was just standing there so smugly, like she knew he wouldn't hurt her. He could. She knew he was capable of it; her nasty little snipe at him was evidence enough. He could just plunge his sword straight through her back right now, and she wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. The look of surprise on her face would almost be worth it. Mysteries like her shouldn't exist and the quieted wind within agreed. All he had to do was lift his sword and with the quick flick of his wrist...

The sword would fall and take the Madonna's life with its killing stroke. Then the blood would come, staining his hands with dark crimson that'd bleed until the end of the world. He saw her face as she turned and in that moment, she wasn't the annoying girl who'd saved his life. She was the woman he saw in that dream of his. The woman he watched his doppelganger kill time and time again. She was the death that haunted him. His sin if he were to take up his sword against her flesh.

Jade eyes widened as the vision passed, and in a choked whisper, he called what he thought in his confusion was her name, "_Isolde_..."

"Aeris." She stated, her clear voice broke through the haze of unnamed, un-owned memory.

Blinking the rain from his eyes, he stared at her dumbly for a beat.

"What?"

"It's my name is Aeris...not Isolde. Aeris."

His eyes narrowed, looking down his nose at her, he said as disdainfully as possible, "I don't care."

"I'm sure you don't." She stated, bluntly, "Are we done here?"

"Not even remotely." He sneered, pushing the sword a bit closer to her flesh to prove his point.

It was absurd, but he wanted her to turn around and look at him. Talking without being able to see her expressions was disconcerting. He wanted to see her fear, her anger...but especially...he especially wanted to see that innocently arrogant smile of hers. The one that was sweet and sour at the same time. With her back to him, she was in control. She pulled the strings. She held all the cards. But if she faced him, he would be in control.

Forgetting that she'd stared him down before and hadn't cowered in terror. Forgetting, for the moment, that though she looked human, she was in many ways, very different, just like him. His biggest mistake, however, was that he forgot that he wasn't the one in control...ever. That others always seemed to pull his strings, and the girl was no exception. She was in control, at the moment anyway. He'd walked into a situation he was patently not prepared for.

She chose that moment to turn and gaze at him with eyes so green they became bottomless. The look on her face held a stern warning, telling him that he should back off. Despite her playful words and back talk, she looked quite serious. Her mouth had thinned, giving her an overall grave appearance that was contrary to her nature.

"I think we _are_ done..." She said softly but with a tinge of menace that surprised him. "...and I think you need to lower that sword _right now_."

"You presume to tell me what to do?" He scoffed, not in the least bit impressed by her bravery, "You are quite the little firebrand, aren't you?"

She didn't acknowledge the question, repeating, "Lower your weapon, General. It's not a request."

"No." He said, flatly, "I think it's time you started answering some questions."

At that precise moment a bolt of lightening hit the ground with such a thunderous crack that it shook the earth beneath them. The wind picked up, howling distantly through the trees, which began to sway as the storm gathered strength. Lightening began to strike the ground continuously and it lit the courtyard with a dangerous kind of beauty that was wild and wholly untamable. It illuminated the girl who was like the lightening and the storm. Wild. Untamable. Free. Never to be caged by anyone or anything. An aura suffused her. Connected her with the wildly swaying tree behind her. He could hear the sounds of things moving through the forest. At first he assumed it was ShinRa or perhaps a rather large herd of deer. But then lightening struck again and he saw.

It was the trees and the shrubs. They'd moved and began to grow around each other by her command, making the way into this courtyard impassible. The stairs she'd used to traverse here were uprooted by wicked looking thorn bushes that erupted abruptly from the soil. All around, the forest was moving and growing to protect this place. And all of it was done at her command. He could sense the immense aura of magic around her. It was her own, but it also belonged to the great tree behind her. The same bloody great tree that was currently swaying dangerously above him, its large limbs undulating in warning.

He heard a crack that came from above and a dark shape fell from the canopy. It fell and landed right next to him with a loud thud. At first, he'd taken it for a branch broken by the storm. A coincidence, nothing more. But when the branch lifted back up to join its brothers, he was left to gape at it like a fish. His rain wetted hair was pushed back slightly and even he couldn't hide the obvious surprise on his face. The tree creaked and groaned again, lit by the ever striking lightening. And he stepped back a bit. Not afraid exactly...but wary.

Nervously, he still held the girl at the point of his sword and he looked from her, to the tree, back to his sword. No way was he going to quail in fear in front of this girl. He wasn't going to shake in his boots just because she could summon nature itself to attack him. Narrowing his eyes dangerously, he held up the sword with a firm resolve that would show her...

"If I were you, I'd put the sword down..." She said, gently, like she was speaking to a child, "I can't control it." Gesturing back to indicate the tree, "But it has agreed to protect me...if you threaten my life, it will kill you and I'd rather not be responsible for that. If you really want your questions answered, I'll gladly do so." And as she spoke she moved forward, pushing the sword's blade away from her neck with her hand, "..But not here. We should leave. ShinRa is still here...and I'm a bit tired of being wet."

He didn't know why he let her do that but he did. She just... His face struggled with emotion as he looked down at her, his sword lowering until it was at his side. She smiled enigmatically and took his hand, leading him over to the large tree that had threatened him. Placing it on the gnarled bark, she covered his hand with her own. Warmth radiated from her hand to his. This connection between them became a lightening rod, and he could feel the magic as it passed.

It came from that ancient tree, funneling itself through her into him and for the first time in his life he felt as if he belonged. He felt at peace and even more startling than that, he didn't mind feeling it. There was no struggle on his part, even though he knew that this moment was fleeting. He just enjoyed it, without feeling the need to push it aside. And just as predicted, the moment was fleeting but he was strangely glad that it HAD happened.

The girl looked up at him tiredly; her deep green eyes sparkling wearily. She said nothing, just smiled as she let her hand slip from his. The tree had stopped moving and as he looked up at it, he wondered if the last few moments had been some kind of hallucination. Maybe he really did hit his head too hard, and unconsciously he checked the back of his head. It was still tender but not bleeding as badly anymore.

He was almost convinced, until he spotted the large crater next to him. In the exact spot the tree's limb had struck. Sheathing his sword, he watched the girl as she walked away from him. She didn't even wait to see if he'd follow. There was no question, no leading statement to indicate she expected as much. She just walked away as if he was of no consequence to her. It vaguely irritated him but not enough to goad him into rash action.

The girl, Aeris. She was an enigma.

Human and inhuman at the same time. A perplexing mystery.

But was she worth following? She'd distracted the ShinRa. He could leave right now. Turn his back on their alliance. He'd always seen it as temporary. The wind urged him to leave, but who was he to follow it? It had urged him to kill her, and where had that got him? Nearly crushed by a bloody great tree. Besides, whatever power the wind could offer paled in comparison with her. It feared her and he wanted to know why. She seemed to fear nothing and he wanted to know why. There were many questions and she'd promised answers.

Beyond his need for knowledge, his need to know why. He wanted to follow her, because she intrigued him. Because she was a problem that needed an immediate solution. Because he wanted to know if she felt like he did. Because he wanted to, and he needed no other reason than that to walk forward.

And walk forward he did, following the girl into the impossible dark, not caring for a moment that he didn't even know their destination.

Only knowing that this was what he wanted. This was his choice and his choice alone. Not ShinRa's. Not the wind's. It was his own...by his own free will he followed her.

Because he was free.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

HOLY CRAP! Two updates in...however many days or whatever! Yeah, I've heard your pleas and updated this fic! HURRAH FOR PEOPLE NOT STONING ME!

In any event, I hope you like this new chapter. I worked pretty hard on it. Not much to say about the chapter in question, other than...YAY! I updated. Um. I know I'll probably get a couple of Ent comments with this chapter, what with all the trees doing things in this chapter like they do. Yeah, I couldn't resist. I had this image in my head for the longest time and I just had to get it out.

Also, for those of you on live journal and for that matter, for those of you who aren't...I created a update community journal thing for my stories! (Specifically for my non-Single Spark works...i.e.--my final fantasy stories.) This is in addition to the weird little writing journal I have at greatest journal...excecpt here you can interact with me more directly if you have a live journal yourself! Hell, you don't even have to like my stories to join. Just join and talk about crap. I don't give a shit!

In any event, I created it and I'll post when I plan to update stuff! I'll also probably post some in the mind of Noa stuff. You know, if you are interested in knowing how I come up with stuff and my thoughts and opinions about writing and what not. And if you subscribe today, you also get the neat bonus of chapter previews! But only if you join!

I'm such a feeb.

Anyhoot, go there now and check out what I might update next! Hope all my American readers have a happy fourth! (This of course includes me, though I'm not really a reader of my stuff because I write it...but I guess since I do write it, I read it and therefore could be techincally considered a reader...but anyway, I'm American and so are some of you. Happy Fourth of July!) Everyone be careful and don't blow your hands off! That'd make me sad!

Ciao

Noa


	11. Si Puer Cum Puellula

_Si puer cum puellula_

_Moraretur in cellula,_

_Felix coniunctio._

_Amore suscrescente_

_Pariter e medio _

_Avulso procul tedio,_

_Fit ludus ineffabilis _

_Membris, lacertis, labii_

_--Carl Orff_

The sky flashed brilliant white and pale purple, yet the forest around them remained dark and distant. It loomed over her, the trees seeming to spread their branches over her like veils of intricate lace dyed a deep and unknowable black. Whether they were sheltering her or reaching for her, she couldn't guess nor did she want to. Her only thought was to continue to move forward through the seemingly endless dark. She could barely see what was in front of her, and the only reason she could keep putting one foot in front of the other without hesitation was due to the occasional illumination from the lightening.

The rain pelted her so hard and so fast that she had to keep her eyes half closed. She'd given up on trying to shield them or wiping the rain away because it didn't work. There was a part of her that thought to run to get out of the storm that much faster, though she realized immediately thereafter the futility in that idea. It wouldn't matter if she ran or if she walked, there was no stopping this rain. So, she walked as calmly as she could.

Aeris had never been afraid of lightening. Never been afraid of storms of any kind. She'd actually always found comfort from the rain and had especially enjoyed really good thunderstorms the few occasions she had in Midgar to experience them. In fact, the only thing that kept her from really enjoying this storm properly was the man walking behind her. She very much wanted to stop and simply dance in the rain. She wanted to gaze up at the clouds in wonder and let them pelt her until she was over-soaked. She wanted to laugh at the lightening and to out-roar the thunder. But she didn't do any of these things because his very presence seemed to suffocate all joy it came in contact with.

It wasn't that she cared what he thought...and it wasn't because she'd feel a bit foolish if he saw her--

Oh, hell. She didn't do it because she knew she'd look the fool if she did. He'd probably make some smart comment or worse, just look at her with one of those looks that he did that she just hated. And anyway, they didn't really have time for something as simple as enjoying a nice early summer rain.

Her feet slid over the pavement washed clean by the driving rain. Something about all this seemed dangerously familiar. It felt like she had been here before, walking this very path in the dead of night...rain pouring down on her. Only then, she was running but not because she wanted to beat the rain...She was running. He was pursuing. She had come here to stop...something. Her mind worked. It tried to remember.

Images brushed the surface, but all she could see were the echoes of emotions they left behind. Sudden and overwhelming panic rose from deep within. She gasped harshly, sucking in rain water with the air. Coughing, her heart jumpstarted and for reasons beyond knowing she began to pick up her steps until she was running blindly.

It was like a dream. A horrible dream turned nightmare turned inescapable vision. A part of her knew it was the wandering spirit speaking to her from her connection to the planet. It was trying to tell her something, trying to warn her but all it sent was the searing feeling in her chest and a fear she couldn't escape. If only it spoke in words and not in visions, then she could understand more clearly. Instead, it screamed from its empty heart and poured out all its unused emotion into image after image of unending pain and suffering...and she couldn't stand it. She ran because the dream her ran. She cried because the dream her willed it to be so. She feared because she who once was feared and wanted to fear no more.

And so, Aeris ran.

There was a terrible sense of foreboding within every movement, and she wanted to stop running as if ceasing that action would somehow break fate's ever spinning wheel. As if she had dislodged a cog and stopped time itself from ever pushing forward. The rain hissed as it hit the pavement; it was all she could hear beyond her own thumping footfalls. Her feet crashing into the ground mimicked the thunder or perhaps she was running in time with it. Each time she stepped, it rumbled and water exploded around her. Easing its way into her shoes until her toes became gummy and wet. Dimly, she wondered when she might fall. Running like this on rain wetted pavement was a nasty tumble just waiting to happen but her panic was too deeply ingrained.

She couldn't stop.

She had to go faster. Had to get there before he did. If she didn't stop them...it'd be the end of everything. She had to get there. She had to...

The dream her and the real her ran towards a temple backlit by constantly striking lightening. Darkness seemed to yawn around her, swallowing her whole. The only hope she could see lay before her, a faint, flickering light that beckoned her forward, and so she ran through this dream vision so ethereal gone solid, this almost reality that abruptly collided with itself. Her foot descended, caught on the pavement and slipped. She'd set it down just the wrong way so that it tipped her balance. Her ankle gave way and she fell to the ground, hard. She barely had time to let out a cry as she tumbled to the ground, legs and arms bucking and spinning as she hit the earth, skidding to a muddy stop in a breathless heap.

Aeris struggled to sit up, her hands pushing against slick mud and finding no traction; she was unable...and fell once more... face first into the mud. Spitting and cursing, she struggled on the ground becoming dirtier with every movement. It wasn't until she'd managed to roll herself on her back that she found sufficient purchase to sit up. Holding out her muddied arms, she almost wanted to cry. Turning her face to the sky, she watched the rain slowly fall onto her skin, washing away the sticky earth. Again, an image flashed and she was reminded of something else...

Her mind was split in two and yet oddly of one mind.

She had so long to go and so little time.

_He's here_...

And the strange song she'd heard before came back to her. The lightening flashed and she could see him standing over her. Pale hair whipping wetly in the wind, he gazed down at her...emerald eyes blazing...his hand on the hilt of his sword. He looked at her strangely. And the dream her and the real her remembered when that sword turned on them, when that sword drew their blood. Her eyes filled with it. Looking down, what she'd taken for mud had turned to blood. Her blood. She could see it, all over. It was everywhere. He'd be the death of her.

Hands shaking, she turned wide, frightened eyes to his face that was and was not a face she recognized. He moved then. Towards her. Petrified, she screamed and made an effort to crawl away from him, back-pedaling away as if she could escape. She twisted in the mud, clawing and crying...her mind full of blankly inescapable terror. By a hair, she managed to stand, slipping and sliding on the mud beneath her, but she stood all the same and she tried to run again. Falling, her forward momentum was brutally halted. Someone had grabbed her wrist and wrenched her backwards. They held her and she struggled. She slapped and kicked and bucked, trying to get away. It wasn't time yet...not yet. She had to finish...she had to...

And without thinking she screamed harsh, foreign words and though they came from her throat, in her voice, she had no understanding of what she'd said. They were garbled...unintelligible as if she was speaking nonsense or some child's made up language. But it felt real and right.

The arms that held her grappled for a better hold. His hands caught her wrists and pressed them to her chest, holding her closer to the one that had captured her. She could feel his warmth behind her and a part of her soared and then fell screaming to the ground just thinking about it. It was like finding love and losing it all in one hideously fragile moment. Crying tears that weren't her own, she let herself be held.

She couldn't die. Not yet. Not yet.

There was so much she had to do...she had to...if only she could turn him, if she could burn away those comforting lies, then maybe, maybe...

With a choking sob, she whispered, "... tu verras la vie sera belle..."

For a very long time she was lost within herself. The dark vision that had swallowed her gradually lifted and she came back to herself. Sore. She was sore and wet. It was still raining. She didn't know why she had been so afraid, but she could still feel its lingering effects, the weariness in her limbs, the lightheadedness and her heart that still beat so fast, fast enough for it to leap from her chest if she thought such a thing possible. Everything slowed to a more normal rhythm. She opened her eyes to gaze at the darkness that surrounded but no longer permeated her and she was Aeris again.

It was then that she became acutely aware of the arms that held her, the hands that encircled her wrists, entrapping her in an embrace. She turned her head and faced...

Sephiroth.

His eyes met hers. They held lighted curiosity and just a bit of confusion. Her cheeks burnt as she felt herself blush. She'd been such a fool. Falling into a dream like that in front of him of all people. His eyes asked a question that she knew he'd never voice, not until he was ready anyway. They sat in the rain like that for what seemed like an eternity. His hands left her wrists, and she was surprised when he didn't let go entirely. He still held her and what was more amazing than that was how gentle he was. Her own hands fell limply as she turned and leaned into him. Not enough to really touch him, but enough to bask in his warmth for a moment. Long enough to take a little of his strength and make it her own.

"What happened?"

How to answer that? There was no real way. She looked up at him, and he gazed back. Lightening flashed above. The storm raged and he was as oblivious to it as she was. She wondered then if maybe he was like her. Maybe he wasn't afraid of storms. Maybe he wanted to dance in the rain. Maybe he'd dance with her...

But that was just ridiculous and she giggled a little, feeling more like herself as time passed.

"What happened?" He repeated, the slight inflection in his tone vocalizing his aggravation with her.

Her eyes dimmed, and she watched his hair as it plastered itself to his face. He looked less intimidating when soaking wet. He looked miserable. And she was vaguely reminded of a wet cat. With his piercing eyes and slitted pupils, he did sort of resemble a very large cat given human form. And she laughed again.

"You're wet."

"And so are you. What. Happened?"

"I don't know."

She tried to tug away and he held on to her. Fear struggled loose, and though she managed to push in down somewhat, it was still there.

"A vision...they happen sometimes..."

"You're a seer?"

"Of sorts."

"Ah." He said, and she could tell that he didn't entirely believe her.

He let her go and she tried to ignore the little voice inside that was disappointed by that. Embarrassed, she stepped away to gain some distance from him. With distance came clarity. She began to straighten her dress, an absurd reaction that though it was calming was entirely futile. Turning, Aeris composed herself and tried to gather the tattered remains of her dignity.

"What did you see?"

"What?"

"In your..._vision_," he said, the sarcasm in his voice just barely hidden, "What did you see?"

"You don't believe me."

"That's not the point."

"Yes...it is," she stated, turning to regard him.

Through the driving rain they stared at each other, one waiting for the other to give in. It was another battle. A test of wills and Aeris found herself tired of it all. She was wet, tired and sore. Any urge to enjoy the storm was gone, and the only thing that remained was a burning desire to be inside and dry. She shivered, dimly noting the temperature as it dropped slightly. It was late...

His eyes narrowed and he gave in, "No, I don't."

"Then why does it matter what I saw, if you don't believe I saw it in the first place?"

He didn't answer and she hadn't expected him to.

"You don't like mystery much, do you?"

His long, pointed silence served as his reply.

Taking pity on him, she gave in, "I saw death. Whether it was mine or yours or someone else's...a vision from the past or the recent future...I don't know. Visions are funny like that. They don't answer much...just bring up more questions. More mystery...So you see, it doesn't really matter."

"You said something...after. Something in a different language. What did it mean?"

"I don't know," she said, her voice soft...truthful, her feelings laid bare.

She couldn't hide the fear the vision brought and if he saw it, perhaps he'd understand...if only just a little.

"What are you?"

She didn't answer. Again, she turned from him and walked away, and she wondered if he'd ever get angry enough at her for not answering that he'd resort to the violence that came second nature to him. But he didn't. He let her keep her peace and she walked forward, he followed behind and soon they reached the main temple without incident. The building loomed blackly above the unlikely pair, occasionally illuminated by sporadic bursts of lightening. The static pulsing of light pushed the shadowed statues and decorations on the building from the dark abruptly, the sight so unexpected that even Sephiroth had given a small start.

The ancients had built their temples to impress.

They were tall structures, spiraling into the skies like ocean born monoliths. Most impressive of all was how they managed to get them to blend so seamlessly with the environment, despite the fact that they looked so uniquely alien. Even Aeris, who had been here earlier in the day, had been startled by the sudden appearance of buildings in the middle of the wild. She had truthfully forgotten how well disguised it was and hadn't quite expected it to be as near their previous location as it had been.

Tired green eyes gazed up at the main pagoda through the rain. She'd never been so relieved to be in such a foreboding place as she was now. It was inexplicable really. Especially considering the state the temple was in.

When Aeris had first come upon this place earlier, she'd been surprised at the damage it had taken. She'd been led to believe the temple had been preserved and thus, she assumed it would be in a more pristine condition. In her mind, she'd imagined a building that was simply abandoned and still in some sort of working condition. Instead, she was greeted with a scene of utter devastation that had been preserved. It was a snapshot of ugly, unwatchable history--frightening for its sheer, brutal truth. This temple had been preserved. It had been frozen in time at the exact moment it had been destroyed.

It was a shame, really...it must have really been something in its heyday.

Seven smaller structures surrounded the main pagoda, which was in rather rough shape. In fact, all of the buildings seemed worse for wear. A few were nothing more than heaping piles of rubble and blackened timbers. What had happened to this place was a question that would remain unanswered. This temple had seen a great deal of violence in its final days. But the exact events of its demise as a working temple would never be known. Whatever tale that could be told was long over and all that was left was the wreckage of this temple which had been allowed quietly shrink away, forgotten.

Aeris had wondered that question throughout the day. What had happened to this place? Something terrible, for sure. Perhaps a battle had been fought and lost. This seemed like the most likely explanation. All evidenced pointed in that direction and anyway, there were few things short of a massive battle that'd render such a large temple to ruins.

Shivering, she rubbed her arms for warmth and to make the tidal wave of sorrow she felt go away. The anguish of that last stand seemed almost palpable. She could feel the desperate sorrow at the edge of her senses. The sighs of yesterday seemed to linger here. She'd noted it before. Funny little peeks into the temple's past had leaked through, and they did here but not quite as brightly as it did in other places.

She was no stranger to retro-cognition. Some would call her crazy, but she firmly believed that there was a certain feel about a place...that even something as inanimate as a house or a temple has a memory. You could even say such places were in a way...alive. They were made alive by the people who inhabited them, who imprinted their memories and emotions into that place. And once they left, those memories stayed and if one was sensitive enough you could feel them...even see them if you saw with the right eyes.

Her church at home in Midgar was a good example. That place was filled with such light and warmth that she'd felt pulled to it. Even thinking about it could brighten her most foul mood as it was a place infused with positive energy. There were other places in the same city not so fortunate. Places she'd walk by a little bit faster because of the waves of negativity flowing off them. She knew that those places had seen dark times, that terrible things had happened within them that left nothing but cold, forbidding darkness.

This temple was a conundrum...as it didn't really react so strongly. The outer part of the temple had been very much like her church, light and warm. She had felt welcome there, but the inner part of the temple wasn't so simple. It didn't feel like the dark places in Midgar, but it did feel...sad. She _knew_ something very terrible had happened here and it had left a great yawning gap of sorrow behind. It didn't want to show its memories as the outside of the temple had. She could almost swear that the temple itself didn't really want to remember at all, as if happy about remaining inactive.

Most places infused with such energy were delighted to show themselves to one who could feel them. Even the very dark places enjoyed being alive and awake enough to frighten the pants off of her but this place was like it was dead...or asleep. No, it was more like it wanted to be asleep but wasn't. And like someone forced awake, it reluctantly shared its space with you just waiting for you to leave so it could slip back into a deep slumber.

It was perhaps the saddest place she'd ever been to that it almost hurt her heart to be there.

Sighing softly, she felt her way through the tangled passageways of the largest pagoda that led to the reliquary and eventually the main sanctuary where she'd left all her things. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon exploring the temple attempting to find a place that'd provide adequate shelter. After a bit, she'd decided that the main pagoda was in better condition than any of the other buildings and would service her needs. She'd immediately taken up residence once she'd found the reliquary.

When the temple had been open the reliquary and the sanctuary behind had not been opened to the public. In fact, if she had visited back then she wouldn't have even known it was there. Both rooms had been hidden behind an enormous wooden door that had been covered in decoration and opened with a switch disguised to look like the carvings that crawled across it.

Luckily for her, the door had been pulled violently off its hinges and left in several pieces that were scattered across the floor. She'd actually taken the time to bend down and look at the fragments of the door. From what she could tell it had been a very beautiful work of art at one time. It was really a shame it had been destroyed so thoughtlessly.

In any event, she'd been able to find the reliquary, which still held some of its relics and the sanctuary--where, if she were to guess, the temple's most sacred and secret rituals had been performed. The one ghostly image she'd seen while in the temple had been the fleeting vision of such a ritual. There was a fire pit of sorts in the center of the room. She wasn't sure, but she felt as if the fire was sacred. She'd heard of such things. Cosmo Canyon was said to have an ever-burning sacred fire and it was said to be a bad omen when the fire went out. She had a feeling the fire in this temple had served a similar purpose.

She'd seen the fire and in front of the fire was a girl dressed in traditional garb. Aeris recognized the girl. She was the same one she'd seen in her dream. The girl sat in front of the fire, gazing into it as she prayed. Her hands were tightly clasped together, only occasionally separating to throw something into the fire. Aeris wasn't sure what that something was, but when the girl did it, the fire would flare. She never got a chance to discover what it was the girl was doing because the vision had faded as quickly as it had appeared.

Aeris had felt a bit awkward after that and more than a little unsure. She didn't much like the idea of staying in a place infused with the memory of a wandering spirit. Such apparitions were obnoxious enough on their own. To stay in a place that was important to them could very make them less annoying and more dangerous, as they'd be more intent on focusing their energy on you. But she had little choice and anyway, the Sequoia had said that she had been guided here and that it had something it wanted to show her. She was uneasy, but she trusted her feelings and the intentions of the tree. This place didn't seem in any way malicious, just mournful. She was really more worried about her unpredictable companion, who could go from zero to homicidal in under a second.

Speaking of which, said companion was eerily quiet and for a moment, she wasn't even sure he'd been following her. Looking back, she found his glowing eyes in the dark and had to suppress a shriek of terror. For a moment...a very brief moment, she forgot who those eyes belonged to and had mistaken him for a monster, again. She put a hand to her heart, reluctantly admitting to herself that maybe that assessment was closer to the truth than she'd like to believe. Aeris just couldn't figure him out. One moment he was eager to help, allying himself with her without an eye blink. The next moment he was leveling a sword at her throat, threatening to kill her. These were not the actions of a rational human being.

He didn't trust people, a blatantly obvious conclusion. She turned over the little she knew of him. He was a lab specimen, more than likely that was the reason for his distrust and knowing ShinRa, they hadn't treated him like a human being should be treated. This also explained the sudden switching from ally to enemy. He probably didn't have much positive social experience. Aeris shook her head.

Why was she thinking about this anyway?

After this night, she would never see him again and she didn't really care at all why he was antisocial, bordering on sociopathic. Analyzing him like this was inconsequential, forgetting her vow to the planet that she'd help him. After having her life threatened as many times as she had today, she was no longer willing to put up with it. Vow or no vow, she'd be glad to be rid of him and was firmly looking forward to parting ways with him.

Stumbling through the darkness, she tried to summon some kind of satisfaction in her decision in hopes of distracting herself from thinking about him. A feat which proved nearly impossible, as it almost took physical effort for her to NOT think about him. She could feel his eyes on her, and though she'd abandoned analyzing him, he hadn't stopped analyzing her.

The judgment of his gaze weighed heavily on her back and she felt the hairs on her neck bristle uncomfortably in response. It didn't help that she didn't see so well in the dark and she kept stumbling. He'd stopped her from more than one nasty fall and she couldn't summon the will to be grateful to him. Perhaps it was the sure knowledge of the arrogant derision she felt behind his every action.

* * *

Aeris was nearly visibly ecstatic upon reaching the reliquary because getting warm and dry would distract her from the menace that prowled behind her, or so she thought. She walked quietly past all the ancient relics, scrolls and texts that were stacked in unstable piles all around them. If she had more time, maybe she would have been interested in digging through the untidy room in hopes of finding something really interesting. As it was, she was too tired and it was far too late for such an inquisition.

She stretched and yawned, formally entering the secret sanctuary and made beeline for the old fire pit. These rooms were cold, unnaturally so. She'd noticed it almost immediately the first time she entered. Psychometrically, it was a common experience when entering a psychically charged location to feel odd drops in temperature. Such changes were often in response to the spirits or spiritual power that inhabited the place. These rooms seemed to have such power, judging by the apparition she'd seen earlier. But it was more than just that. The temperature had only dropped radically that one time. Otherwise, the rooms seemed to stay consistently cool, almost as if they were regulated to stay at the same temperature at all times.

Her ancestors had been clever people and she had no doubt that these rooms were built the way they were for a purpose. No doubt to help preserve the relics and scrolls found within. An interesting thought, though it did make things slightly more complicated for her as a result. When she'd found the rooms this afternoon, the cooler temperature hadn't bothered her much. But in the dead of night and being as wet as she was, the room was now uncomfortably cold. Her immediate thought was to start a fire in the small pit. She'd gathered some wood earlier and had taken her fire materia with her, along with a few others, so she was prepared. But she'd forgotten how much energy she'd expended taking out that helicopter as well as the twenty or so Turks she'd laid flat.

She'd several times to activate it from its place on her bracelet, but nothing happened. Frustrated, she took it off and held it in her palm, closing her eyes and willing it to work. Nothing happened again, and she could almost scream. Almost. Because she was very aware of the glowing jade eyes that were trained on her, assessing her every move. Just waiting for the right moment to say something insulting.

She heard movement behind her and she squeaked at its unexpectedness. Calming herself sourly when she realized it was just him. Sephiroth didn't seem to take notice of her moods or expression, merely settling himself next to her and snatching the materia away from her without a word. He held it in one large palm and with a snap of his fingers; he lighted the dry wood in front of him. Giving her a look before handing the materia back to her, he calmly walked over to one of the sides of the room and sat down to watch her some more.

She murmured a dull thank you before going to her own side of the room. Pointedly ignoring him, she dug in her pack for a dry change of clothes as well as some other supplies. When she did deign to acknowledge him, it was to ask him to turn around. He gave her a condescending glare and told her to do the same. He'd already begun stripping some of his wet clothes off and didn't appreciate her stares any more than she'd appreciate his. Huffing to herself about arrogant men, she turned her back on him and carefully took off her wet clothing.

Now clad in nothing more than her slip and her undergarments, she carefully wrapped her old blanket around herself and turned to face her current companion. He hadn't taken off his pants but he had taken off his undershirt and the flannel he'd used to cover it. Brows furrowed, he was currently trying to squeeze the water out of the flannel. It had soaked up so much that the effort was almost hopeless but he was so concentrated on the task that he didn't seem to notice it. She couldn't help it. She laughed at him.

He looked up, clearly alarmed and annoyed that she was looking. Scowling, he turned his back on her fully, so that she got a good view of the back of his head and hair, which covered up his exposed back. She stifled another laugh, as she'd seen the slight half-embarrassed, half-aggravated flush before he'd turned. Drawing the blanket around her, she stood up and retrieved the extra sleeping bag the driver had given her.

The sleeping bag she'd brought with her was still back at the campsite along with the tent. Again, she'd sacrifice her comfort for someone else and had resolved to allow him the comfort of the only sleeping bag, while she made due with her thin little blanket. Her rationale being that he needed it more than she did, as he was still recovering from the poison.

He didn't seem to notice her approach as he casually turned his head, straining to twist the remaining water from his shirt. At that turn, Aeris finally caught sight of the injury on the back of his head. There was a medium sized blood stain just behind and far to the right of his ear that was accentuated rather gruesomely against his pale hair. It was still red, though a darkening red, which meant it was still fresh but slowly clotting.

Alarmed, Aeris dropped the sleeping bag and ran back to get her first aid supplies. Upon hearing the sound, his head snapped in her direction, giving her an unsociable glare as he finally noted her approach. She didn't pay him any mind, nor did she notice that she'd abandoned the blanket. In fact, she didn't even notice the slight widening of his eyes as he took her in, clad in only a slip as she was. He didn't say anything to her, just turned his head as if ignoring her would somehow make her go away.

"You're hurt," was her only reply to his clear discomfort with her.

He tried to respond but she cut him off with a look that brooked no argument. He supposed he could have given more resistance but for one reason or the other, he didn't. Perhaps he was just too tired to fight, which was a fact he was loathe to admit but was easily evident in his face and manner. He was bone tired. His entire body ached from the fight, the subsequent flight and the cold. His limbs felt like lead weights were attached to them and his head was throbbing in pain. Analyzing all this information, he conceded that it'd be easier and smarter just to let the girl have her way. Coughing harshly, his shoulders slumped and he surrendered all pride and allowed himself to be cared for.

Aeris, for her part, was rather amused by the little dramatic display of defeat. A gradually widening smile crossed her face and she found it very hard not to laugh. This would not do. Shaking her hands out and taking a deep calming breath, she summoned a more professional demeanor and began to work. Carefully, she pushed his hair back to examine the wound. What she found underneath was a single, jagged one inch long gash that was still sticky with congealed blood and dirt. And though the clotting process had begun, she would have to risk reopening it to clean it. But she'd have to, not only to stave off possible infection but to also see how deep it was so she could determine whether or not it'd require stitches.

As she worked, she quietly asked him questions to make sure he hadn't given himself a concussion or any other kind of brain trauma. He seemed as coherent and she knew this because he was irritated and sarcastic with her. In anyone else, this might be a worrisome sign, but with him, she guessed, that it was the norm. Anyhow, if his injury had been serious, he wouldn't be sitting here right now.

She quietly warned her patient before pouring a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the wound while holding a small compress near the wound to catch the excess. Repeating this process until the area was clean enough for her to assess it. And now looking at it, she was less worried than she had been before. It wasn't too deep, which deserved a thank god and a hallelujah, because she was really, really not looking forward to stitching him up. Not that she thought he'd take it badly, as he hadn't complained once during the entire treatment. In fact, he remained eerily silent, which made her want to scoff at him or make some other derisive comment, just to dig at his incredible ego. Acting all stony and cold like the perfect warrior, he didn't show a single hint of emotion...as if hurting and showing pain from an injury was above him.

"_My goodness, but boys are stupid_," she thought haughtily, congratulating herself on having two X chromosomes.

The wound was still very much open and she abandoned her mental back patting to pay attention to her patient. Grabbing another cotton ball, she liberally doused it with peroxide and daubed the gash gently but firmly. Frowning, she realized there was no way for her to permanently bandage the wound and the damned thing was still bleeding. Not badly but it wasn't stopping, and that was a definite problem.

Wounds like this to the head were nothing but annoying, as they were slow to heal and even slower to clot. Annoyed, she pulled out another compress and doused it with rubbing alcohol rather than peroxide. With a light sigh, she pressed against the wound in hopes of staunching the bleeding. The minute the compress touched the wound, he let out a nearly noiseless hiss. It was so quiet she just barely heard it. Unlucky for him, the room conducted sound quite well.

Concerned, she asked, "Are you okay?"

"I don't need your help," he snapped back, though he didn't move from his spot.

The statement and his reaction were quite laughable. He was in rough shape right now. Just recovering from a near fatal poisoning, only to incur a rather nasty head injury, he wasn't the picture of perfect health at the moment and he did indeed need her help. Not only for the wound she was treating...the antidote she'd given him for the malboro poison had worked wonders, but the funny thing about poisons was they had a tendency to stay in the body. There was no real way to expel them entirely once they enter. For the rest of his life, he'd probably suffer the side-effects of the poison.

Nodding her head sagely, she replied with a bemused, "Mmmhmm."

She almost added, a '_Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure you don't_', just for effect but held her tongue at the last minute.

Obviously irritated, he shot back, "I'll heal fine on my own. You've done enough already."

Pressing a bit harder on the back on his head at his rude allegation, she smiled sweetly, "Is that as close as I'm going to get to a 'thank you' from you?"

"Why should I thank you for help I don't need, much less want?" He said, smacking her hands away and moving several inches away from her.

"Oh and I suppose I should have just left you to die?" She queried, with a blithe tilt of her head and she scooted right back next to him.

"We'd both be better off..." he muttered darkly, glaring daggers at her for daring to approach him.

She supposed it was intended to scare her off. Too bad for him that he didn't quite scare her as much as he had before, especially considering how haggard and tired he looked at the moment. There were a terse couple of seconds where neither moved. They sat stiff as boards, staring straight ahead in yet another battle of wills.

Scoffing exasperatedly, Aeris decided then and there that her will would be done. She sat behind him again, digging her fingernails in his shoulder when he attempted to scoot away from her. Turning his head, she forcefully placed it where she wanted it and began to work on it again, not bothering to be gentle anymore.

"You bit--"

"Finish that sentence and you'll regret it for the rest of your life," She threatened smoothly, twisting the compress in her hand to tweak the wound in just the wrong way. He tried to object, but she'd have none of it, cutting him off without an eye blink, "Put up or shut up, mister. Those are your choices."

His jaw clicked close and he glowered at the wall, reluctantly allowing her to continue to do what she was doing. He sighed heavily, as if he was burdened by a great weight. If she were more easily irritated, she might have considered smacking him. Instead, she found it endlessly amusing. And inwardly, she cackled at him for being such a stubborn jackass. The tension in the room slowly drifted away after several more seconds and soon a long silence reigned. Much to her consternation, his wound showed no signs of clotting and pretty soon drastic measures would have to be taken. It was either that or her fingers would go numb trying.

"How do you know Tseng?"

The question was so strange and out of the blue that Aeris found herself immobilized. Blinking in shock, she answered the bluntly unexpected question, "That...is such a complicated question to answer."

It was his turn to scoff, and he turned slightly to give her a withering glare.

"On the contrary, it's ridiculously simple. How do you know him?" he repeated, his voice tight and insistent, "You promised me answers."

With a huff, she took a deep breath and began slowly, "Well, obviously, I know him because he works for ShinRa, and I'm an escaped research specimen. He was assigned to capture me...or he tried to..."

"Tried to?"

"Yeah, tried to. They captured me once or twice, but I'd always manage to get away."

"How did you escape?"

"Either the door lock on my cell was faulty or it was left open. Not sure which, though I'm inclined to believe it was left open."

"Why?"

"Tseng and I knew each other...you know, before..." she said, indulging him when he made a motion for her to go on, "He was my only friend...like an older brother or a bodyguard...He looked out for me...as much as he could, anyway...even when he became a Turk, he tried to look out for me."

A shadow of sorrow passed over her face as she thought about the past and how quickly things change. Her companion noticed the change and the emotions in her face, though he said nothing and she didn't notice. He saw all the same. Despite some of his more inhuman qualities, he was a keen observer of the human condition and quite perceptive when it came to reading people. And she was an open book. Several things clicked into place then and he gave her a measuring look.

"You think he let you go?"

"Mmmhmm."

She completely missed the slight and hostile narrowing of his eyes, and the controlled flicker of pique that rippled through their jade depths. He didn't like her answer. Not at all. Speaking quietly, he asked her in a tone that resembled politeness without actually being polite, "Why does ShinRa want you?"

She laughed with not a small amount of bitterness, "They think I can show them somewhere."

"Well, you are a seer, aren't you?" He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and she was just a dullard for not getting it, "Why don't you just show them where they want to go? It'd be far simpler in the long run..."

"Yeah, well...it's not that simple. Where they want to go, I can't find for them."

"Where?"

"Hmm, wha?"

"Where do they want to go?" He repeated, doing his best to control whatever exasperation he felt.

She became very quiet then. He was far too close to asking questions she would not answer. It was bad enough that ShinRa knew what her heritage was. And she had to consider that the arrogant general wouldn't believe her. Frustrated, she scowled at the back of his head, pretending to be annoyed with his lightly bleeding wound. So, instead of directly answering him, she decided to dodge the question in favor of speeding up the healing process. She'd wasted enough time already.

The materia based spells had taken their toll on her, but she wasn't too spent to use some of the planet's own strength. She was cetra, after all, and healing came more naturally than the artificial offensive or defensive spells found in materia. Laying a finger on his wound, she summoned and directed it over the cut. The air around them briefly stirred and changed, going from cold and oppressive to fresh and warm in an instant. And when it stopped, the cut was healed and with a soft smile, she leaned on him for a moment to regain her breath.

He noticed all of this and was, himself, breathless from shock. Turning abruptly, he looked her right in the eye and repeated his question.

To which she answered with a weary smile, "The Promised Land."

Of all his reactions, she hadn't expected him to laugh but he did. It was as harsh and bitter as her own, and in his eyes she could see the incredulity and disbelief.

"Fools, chasing after legends and fairytales." He said, more to himself than to her. Sephiroth looked up at her, his gaze piercing, "What are you?"

"Just a flower girl who happens to see things."

"Bullshit. They wouldn't want you just for that. There's more..."

He didn't have to say what he was thinking. She'd demonstrated quite a bit of power in the last few hours, power that was something to reckon with, power that ShinRa wanted badly enough to sic the Turks on her.

"Ah, so you think I have a secret to hide?" She asked, smiling at him genially when he gave her an arrogant smirk, "I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours."

"I have nothing to hide..."

And from her pocket, she produced a single, solitary bullet. Holding it out, she smiled just a bit wider. He didn't take it and so she threw it at him. Predictably, he caught it and unwillingly examined it, his burning gaze returning to her as he wondered what game she was playing at now.

"I pulled that from your back. Funny thing, it has the ShinRa logo stamped all over it," she said, glaring at him as fiercely as he was glaring at her, "I might just be a flower girl, but I'm not stupid. They were after _you_. They tried to kill _you_. So, I'll answer_ your_ question, when you tell me what they want _you_ for."

Sephiroth gazed at her blankly, rolling the bullet between two fingers. Blinking languidly, he tilted his head and said simply, "I escaped."

"They don't pump you full of poison laced bullets for just escaping," she helpfully pointed out.

His eyes went deathly cold then and there was a ghostly sneer in his voice as he spoke, "Sadly, the locks on my doors were quite functional and my cell woefully well guarded...unlike other, more _fortunate_ 'guests' of ShinRa..."

Aeris couldn't help the mortified blush that rose to her cheek. She was insulted, but at the same time, she felt guilty. She didn't like the implications in his statement, much less the intent behind them. It wasn't her fault she was lucky. It wasn't her fault she knew someone on the inside who made things easier for her. And a very quiet voice in the back of her head wondered what exactly he had to do in order to escape. Most likely, she didn't want to know. Tension was worse than palpable. It was a sticky, clingy presence that lingered over the room like a bad smell.

Attempting to shake it off, she quickly scuttled back to her side of the room and wrapped herself in her blanket, doing her very best to ignore Sephiroth. He didn't make it easy for her, as she could feel him watching her. Like the pinpointing light of a sharpshooter's target, his gaze burned holes in her back. Concentrating, she pushed him out of her mind and focused on herself. She tended to her own wounds, brushed her hair, and when all that was done, she got herself something to eat, munching idly on a cereal bar, she half-thought about asking Sephiroth if he wanted one but then thought better of it. If he wanted something to eat, he could ask like a polite person would...assuming he knew what it was to be polite.

A fact which was in much doubt.

He hadn't touched the sleeping bag she'd given him, which irritated her for more than one reason. First, it was an outright refusal of her kindness. But it was the second part that was really important. After finishing the cereal bar, she'd snuggled into her blanket and gazed at the fire for awhile. Very soon, she began to feel sleepy. Yes, this was the second part. She was very, very tired, but she didn't want to be the first one to fall asleep.

If he didn't trust her, then she didn't trust him and if he didn't sleep, than neither would she. There was no way she'd lower her guard around him. Not until there was some kind of trust between them. So she'd waited and waited and waited for him to make a sign that he was about to retire. She waited until her lids were so very heavy and her body screamed at her to give up the ghost.

Frustrated and exhausted, she gave up any pretense of ignoring him and snapped, "Aren't you going to sleep!"

He didn't even look at her as he pretended to be more interested in the bullet she'd thrown at him. A habit which was quickly becoming irritating.

"No."

"Why not?" She asked, rather more petulantly than she'd liked.

"I don't tire as easily as some," he replied, condescendingly, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"Hmm. So, I assume you're not tired either?"

"No."

He laughed sharply and shook his head as if deciding something within himself. After a few minutes, it became clear to her that he wasn't going to elaborate to her what he thought was so funny and it irked her.

Brows furrowing, she barked at him, "What's so funny."

"You." He said, looking at her with a small, but noticeable smile, "You are, without a doubt, the worst liar I've ever seen. You're exhausted. Go to sleep."

"Am not."

She winced as the words left her mouth. Why couldn't she think _before _she said stupid stuff!

"Yes, you are."

"No..." she insisted, "I am NOT. Don't tell me what to do."

"Suit yourself," he said, laughing as he stood, stretching his arms out before striding for the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked from her sort of comfortable nest on the floor.

"To patrol."

She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and alarm, "To patrol? Patrol what...and where?"

He sighed then, annoyed that he had to explain something so fundamental to her, "Ruins like these are dangerous at night."

Aeris raised an eyebrow, giving him the same look he just gave her, "We're perfectly safe here. I told you that before. You really, REALLY have to work on this trust issue thing you have..."

"You honestly expect me to believe you?"

"Yeah. You saw for yourself...The Sequoia will protect us...it said..."

"Yes, far be it from me to doubt the words of a sentient tree."

She ignored the not so veiled insult, and replied dryly, "Fine. Go. But you're just wasting your time."

"I'll be the judge of that."

She shrugged and stood up, padding over to her abandoned sleeping bag.

"Suit yourself," she echoed his previous sentiment, shaking out the sleeping bag without looking at him.

Rolling it out fully, she slipped inside and unwrapped the blanket from around herself. All the while, she carefully ignored the man who watched her with unveiled amusement. Annoyed, she finally looked up at him, her hands folding her blanket into a makeshift pillow. If he wasn't going to sleep, than she would and she'd do it in her own damn sleeping bag. He could sleep on the cold, hard ground for all she cared. Their gazes met and for a single moment they could barely move or breathe. And just like that, it drifted away as he turned his back on her, breaking her gaze with something close to reluctance as he melded into darkness.

And from the empty black, his voice carried back to her softly as he whispered, "Sleep well."

It startled her enough for her to put a hand to her chest. Breathing heavily, she called back, "Goodnight..." Mumbling lowly to herself once she was sure he was gone, "Big, stupid jerk. Hope you get eaten..."

Snuggling down into the blanket, she gazed at the flickering firelight. At first, sleep didn't come as easily as she'd hoped. There were strange sounds all around and it was kind of chilly. It was dark and she was very alone and feeling so small and scared. Closing her eyes, she reached for the planet's song. It was her security blanket of sorts and as it surrounded her, she found herself falling into a deep, comfortable sleep.

She belonged here.

And with thatorphaned thought, she let the last bit of her consciousness go. Aeris was at that moment, dead to the world. She didn't notice the creaking timbers of the temple. Or the pattering rain on the roof. She didn't even notice it when someone else slipped into the two person sleeping bag with her to share her warmth after two cold, fruitless hours of patrolling.

* * *

Author's notes and lyrics translations for this chapter can be found at my writing journal, Yume Jinju livejournal. A link to this journal can be found in my profile. 


	12. Road to Nowhere

_Well we know where we're goin'  
But we don't know where we've been  
And we know what we're knowin'  
But we can't say what we've seen_

_--The Talking Heads _

Captured inside the ineffable world of dreams, she wrapped herself around the images her sleeping mind wrought. Sometimes they were blood-soaked and brutal. Sometimes gentle as a lamb. Sometimes image and meaning created a surreal dissonance that collided with her conscious mind so violently that she knew, even in sleep, that she'd only ever remember snatches of the dream that was a song.

This dream-song weaved its way through her, twining itself around all the most important parts of her that she couldn't untangle it, no matter how hard she tried.

_Ecoute bien, mon coeur t'appeller...Nous pourrons si bien nous aime..._

Slowly, ever so slowly, the feeling behind those words became clear.

_My heart...it calls to you...and I'll await you here...I promise._

_I promise..._

_I promise..._

_I..._

Through it all, an oath had been made. An oath that neither of them had fulfilled and their souls had gone into death with dreams that died young. Now, through the ether, they sent messages to themselves and if she could only interpret them, perhaps she could avert the messy fate that awaited them. And a name fell from her sleeping lips.

"_Tristan_..."

With a small, noiseless gasp, her eyes fluttered open and the world came back to Aeris slowly though the deep haze of sleep still stole a bit of her senses.

Sleep was a good thing. Deep, restful sleep, in particular was a very good thing, especially after the last four days of bad sleep and near constant stress. Her body and mind were completely exhausted and had shut down entirely to recoup all the energy they'd spent. It wasn't such a surprise then, that she'd slept like the dead last night and was so wrapped up in the blissful comfort of sleep that she didn't notice the guest currently sharing her sleeping bag. Sadly, even when semi-awake and quasi-coherent, she didn't notice him.

Her mind was cloudy and fuddled as she tried to piece together the remnants of the dream she'd just had. Blearily blinking, she tried to mumble the words or hum the tune, but nothing came out but a quiet, discordant buzz in the back of her throat. Yawning so widely that it brought tears to her eyes, noticing upon waking that her hand had fallen asleep. It was then that her bedmate made his presence known. She was shaking her hand violently, grunting a bit under her breath while using her other hand to try and stimulate blood flow into the numbed appendage. Fighting the terribly uncomfortable pins and needles feeling as she moved her fingers, her disoriented mind failed to notice the slight movement behind her until it jabbed her in the kidneys.

Awareness was immediate, and agonizing.

Aeris cried out, her hand immediately digging into the covers to smooth the pain over, while her mind worked.

"What in the hell..."

Shifting, she became aware that her movement was restricted by a solid lump just behind her. Her hand was already at her back, rubbing it, and she couldn't help but notice that there were appendages in her sleeping bag that weren't her own. It was an alarming realization and she froze before turning around slowly to see what the lump might be. A part of her already knew and dreaded the confirmation of her realization.

Her eyes widened.

Her mouth dropped open.

And she gasped, this time quite audibly.

The lump in HER sleeping bag was Sephiroth. Well, she'd sort of known already, but she just hadn't cared enough at the time to make a big deal about it. Being tired did that to you but now. Now, he lay there looking quite comfortable as he'd taken up the majority of space in the sleeping bag, his head pillowed on an arm. What made things worse was the fact that he was sleeping on the side with the zipper and he'd managed to cocoon most of the bag's material around him. She couldn't simply unzip the bag and get out. He'd have to get out first, or alternatively, she'd have to crawl over him and unzip it herself. Aeris scowled as he sighed softly and turned over a bit before going still again, looking even more peaceful in his repose than he had before...in HER sleeping bag.

She pouted, shocked at his boldness with rising anger that was partly fueled by this newest slight, and partly fueled by the events of the night before. No, she hadn't forgotten that. Every conversation was a battle with him and she needed her wits about her, therefore anything he said would be remembered so she was sure she could bring it up without error the next time they fought.

Dear god, she'd be glad to be rid of him.

Scowling, she propped herself up on a forearm and reached out, shaking him sharply.

"Wake up," she hissed indignantly, and when he didn't answer, she shook him harder, "Wake up."

His face contorted uncomfortably in his sleep. He looked displeased to say the least and letting out a small, annoyed moan, he turned completely over so that his back was facing her. Well, that wouldn't do at all. She poked him some more, which graduated to shaking which led to pinching, none of which worked. At all. Evidently, she wasn't the only one who could sleep like the dead when they wanted to.

Sighing heavily, she realized there was no choice. She'd just have to crawl over him and hope he didn't wake up. Worming her way over him, she tried not to think about what she was doing as she clambered over him. She tried not to think about the fact that she was dressed in nothing but a slip. She tried even harder not to think about the fact that he had no shirt on. She tried very, very hard not to think about the fact that he was very handsome and without a shirt and she was currently lying on top of him. She tried all those things and failed miserably. A heated blush rose to her cheeks and she tumbled out of the sleeping bag in an embarrassed heap.

Luck was on her side, though, as he hadn't woken up despite her apparent graceless exit.

Utterly mortified, she put it all behind her and quickly dressed. She thought briefly of waking him, her eyes darting over to look at him as she carefully re-braided her hair. Fussing with her ribbon, she was torn as to what she ought to do. She really should wake him; after all, it was the only way she'd get her sleeping bag back. But if she woke him, then he'd most likely follow her and she really didn't want that. Their alliance had been a temporary one. He knew it. She knew it. Her end of the bargain was sealed. Sure, he'd mentioned wanting answers from her, but honestly, did he care that much about them? He was free now. How could a few unanswered questions compare to that?

_...Ta promesse..._

_You made a promise_.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Breathing in and out shakily, she scanned the room. Nothing. Aeris laughed quietly to herself and it sounded so empty but it gave her a bit of confidence. Places like this weren't meant to be stayed in and she'd lingered too long. Hastily gathering up her things, she stood and readied herself to leave when she felt the temperature in the room drop. Something tickled the back of her arm. She clapped a hand over her mouth and suppressed a scream.

A ghostly shape moved from the shadows, forming itself from nothing, appearing out of the darkness like smoke curling over water. It took the form of a pale woman with long, dark hair. There was a supernal sheen to the vision and though Aeris was a little afraid, there was an air of comfort surrounding the spirit. It meant her no harm. She knew this without a doubt. Shivering despite herself, she calmed down in hopes of seeing what it meant to show her, if it meant to show her anything at all.

The apparition walked through her towards a previously unopened doorway that led down. It stopped and turned its head over its shoulder to beckon her with its gaze.

"Follow," it said.

_...Ne suives pas..._

Aeris's feet couldn't help but obey and she followed her into the unknown deep. She knew now form of the apparition. She'd seen the woman in her dreams. She'd seen her slaughtered over and over and over again, and each death felt like her own. The spirit weaved lazily through the labyrinthine corridors beneath the shrine. Aeris struggled to follow. The tunnels underneath were oppressively black and she could see very little by the faint, eerie light of the apparition.

After a seeming eternity, the spirit stopped and disappeared through a pair of large stone doors. Aeris balked and her fear returned as the only light she had walked through solid rock. Before panic could set in, she calmly pushed on the doors and was happily rewarded when they nudged themselves open. After a few more pushes, the doors creaked open to reveal a large, open room. In the center of the room was a stone circle, surrounded by pillars and in between the pillars hung long, diaphanous curtains that breathed in and out as the air circulated through the room. The ceiling surrounding the circle was dome shaped and quite high, with an opening at the top to let light through.

Aeris looked around in wonderment that such a place could remain in tact and for a moment, she forgot how she'd come to be here.

Why had the spirit brought her here?  
Aeris couldn't answer the question but was curious none-the-less. She'd dreamt of this place. This place was where the apparition's last moments alive had been spent. This was the place where it had died and now haunted.

Shivering again, she tried desperately to rub away the goose-bumps forming on her flesh. Someone had died here, violently, she'd felt it and dreamed it but nothing compared to being in the place that it actually happened. It was a terrible feeling. Overpowering in its horribleness.

Walking as quietly as she could, she pushed past the curtains and entered the circle. Bathed in light, she examined the floor as if looking for clues, for answers to all her questions. This wandering spirit had guided her here for a reason, if only she could…and just as the thought passed, she found it. There was nothing substantial on the floor that told her the room's purpose, but she didn't really need to venture a guess. This was a sacred circle and this room was obviously the main chamber for the shrine's inner sanctum where only the most sacrosanct and secret rituals were performed.

Aeris closed her eyes, the air of this place was still rather off-putting but she could feel underneath the discomfort, the power of this temple. Shuddering, she could hear the planet more clearly than she had before. This temple was a conduit that allowed for nearly direct contact with the lifestream and therefore the planet itself. She drowned in the planet's song for an unknown amount of time. It sang to her in joy that they could hear each other so well, but it seemed to be reprimanding her as well though it sang to her in words that were strange, yet familiar.

_Ta promesse_...

Again, those words...in the language of her people, long forgot. She couldn't understand them but their meaning was made clear by the reverberating hum of the planet.

"What did I promise?"

_Ta promesse de sauver lui _

"Who, to save who?"

_L'ange du mort,_ _Tu s'as laissé_

At first she couldn't imagine whom the planet was talking about. She hadn't left anyone, well, except for Tseng but he wasn't really an Angel of Death…he was just…and then she paused and really thought about it. Yes, there was someone she'd left.

"Sephiroth?"

"Will you repeat the mistakes of the Past? Will you leave things unresolved, until you have no other option but to act in desperation, like the Chosen before you did? Will you face the storm or will you turn away? What will it be, child? What will it be..."

"Desseé?"

The planet's leaving was her answer. Its warmth filtered out of her, draining from her body like water from a warm shower. She opened her eyes, vaguely remembering her previous conversation with the planet. Yes, she'd promised to guide him, but what the planet didn't understand was he didn't exactly want to be guided. And she wasn't exactly fond of fighting lost causes, or at least, she wasn't fond of this particular lost cause. Her decision earlier had been based on what he'd been like while unconscious. She'd had sympathy for him then. Pity. But having met him and experienced his abrasive personality first hand, she wasn't keen on spending any more time with him than she had to.

Sure, she didn't like the fact that she was in a sense abandoning her duty and breaking her promise to the planet but…it wasn't like she was totally remiss to her obligations. She'd gotten him this far, keeping him from ShinRa had to count for something, didn't it? Plus, it wasn't like he was showing any signs that he'd been tainted by the crisis yet. Perhaps she'd caught things in time and now that he was free, maybe there was a chance he'd be able to live a normal life. After all, ShinRa had pieces of the crisis in their hands, and now that Sephiroth was out of theirs, he'd also be out of her reach as well.

At least, this is what she'd rationalized. The truth that she didn't want to speak was she didn't want to be near him. He frightened her but it was more than that. He was aggravating, he was rude and mean and bossy, pointlessly negative, violent and she just didn't like him. Everything about him annoyed her, and she had so wanted to be able to travel the world and enjoy herself. She wouldn't be able to do that with someone who'd constantly rain on her parade. And he would definitely rain on her parade big time.

Scoffing lightly, she straightened her dress and prepared to leave. Her eyes were drawn to her feet as she stepped and it was then that she noticed something. There was a dark patch on the floor and curious, she bent down to touch it, expecting it to be some kind of mold or rust. Her fingers came back sticky with a moist, dark red substance.

"Blood," she whispered hoarsely, trembling with confusion as she rubbed it between her fingers.

Disgusted, she looked down for a clear patch of floor she could use to wipe the blood from her fingertips but froze in mid-movement. There was a presence to the left of her. Something dark and cold, and familiar and unwillingly, she turned her head. Her breath caught and her eyes widened. She breathed in and out in slow, shaky gasps, taking one long exhalation in an attempt to calm herself. It came out in a single rush of air, sounding like the wind against her ears as it left her mouth.

Kneeling on the floor not a foot away from her was the apparition she'd followed, except...except it didn't seem aware of her as it had before. It wasn't leading her to places she didn't want to follow. It was just there, raw and real despite what her rational mind was trying to tell her. This spirit wandered no more. It was a solid vision and it was showing her how it had died.

The apparition looked right through her, as if she was a being of otherworldly illusion. It gasped for air that it couldn't breathe anymore, a ghostly pale hand clutching where its heart used to be. She could see it then. The spirit...no...it had been a woman. Was a woman still. There was a stain, a dark stain that was blossoming across the woman's eerily bright, white kimono. The stain spread and bled through the fabric, gushed between the fingers that tried desperately to hold it back.

It was blood and then she realized where the blood she'd just touched on the floor had come from. But it couldn't be blood, not real blood because this woman, this apparition was long dead. The breath she'd been holding back suddenly came back with unbelievable ferocity and the world around her seemed to shrink with the sound of her breathing. It felt like she'd entered a wind tunnel and all she could hear was silent howling as she stared into the dead eyes of the apparition.

And for a moment. Just for a moment. Aeris felt like the spirit had noticed her. That it saw her as she saw it and she felt a heavy knot of dread coil in her stomach. But then it turned away listlessly, training its cold, heavy gaze at the iron doors they'd just entered.

Brushing from the darkness like fine ink lines, another shade appeared from nothingness, leaving Aeris to wonder if it had been there all along waiting. It towered over them both, and although its attention was solely on the helpless form of the female apparition, Aeris too could feel the weight of its menace. Glaring at the other apparition, the shade was as still as stone, holding a blood covered sword carelessly in one hand.

He had been the one. He'd killed her.

She'd dreamed it...but to really see it. Was she seeing it? Was this just another dream? Her gradually numbing feet told her no. This was no dream.

"Tristan," the woman gasped, her voice raspy and halting from her injuries.

There were no words after that, only the quiet, glimmering emotions in the spirit's eyes. Why? Those eyes begged to know why, why had he killed her? Why, when she loved him? Why, when she had only tried to do what was right...when she'd only tried to save him? Why? His eyes were cold, hard and any emotion in them was as indecipherable as smudged writing on wet paper. They shut everything off, held everything within like the large iron doors that closed this room off from the rest of the temple. She breathed in a shuddering, trembling gasp that was thick and wet at the same time. It caught in her throat and she coughed, blood spewing from between her pale lips. Aeris could feel it, taste the bitter, coppery tang of blood on her tongue. Her chest felt heavy, like someone had stacked bricks on it and when the apparition let out a series of sharp barking coughs, Aeris had to stop herself from mimicking the action.

The coughs turned to sobs that turned into an ebbing scream as the spirit smacked the ground in apparent frustration. All the while, the shade watched her soundlessly, almost seeming bored with the display. The apparition's fingers curled into the hard, stone floor and she pulled herself up, arms shaking as she fought her steadily weakening body. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she looked up at the shade. Head lolling, eyes glazed, she apologized to him by quietly closing her eyes. She held out her hands, and cupped in her outstretched palms lay a single piece of materia. Its surface was dull and to Aeris's eyes it looked broken. A flickering luminescence erupted from the depths of the materia, engulfing the room in pure, brilliant light. Just before it became too bright to see, Aeris could make out the mournful spirit, so calm despite her sorrow, and the shade in front of her recoiling from the light.

When her sight came back, she could see the fading forms of both spirit and shade. Everything was different from the vision before. No longer was she the martyred and he the murderer. They were the two lovers she'd seen in her dreams. Star-crossed and ill met by moonlight, or so it seemed in the dim halls of the temple. He held the woman in his arms and wept as she whispered her last words to him. Her hand grazed his cheeks, leaving five horizontal smudges of blood behind, scouring his flesh. Aeris strained to listen, watching the spirit's mouth move but unable to hear the words. But they had begun to fade by then, and any lessons they had to teach were no longer relevant. She had seen what they'd wanted her to.

Yet, just before they disappeared completely, she heard the shade...no, the man, the man she'd called Tristan, whisper hollowly, "_Isolde_."

Recognition flooded Aeris, it was the name Sephiroth had uttered but before anything could sink in...the whisper died. And as it did so did Isolde, her hand on his cheek went limp and fell to the ground jostling the materia she'd held from her hand. It rolled away from them as they melted into the shadows, chiming as it made its way to Aeris. She watched, horrified, as it bounded towards her, stopping right at her knees.

Somehow, she managed to pick it up and make her way out of the large iron doors. The materia was still illuminated, for a time anyway. Too short, it seemed because just as she left the main chamber, it winked out and she was left in darkness. Unnerved and frightened by what she'd just seen, the sounds of shuffling in the distance alarmed her. There was something in the tunnels with her. Her eyes widened in the dark and she clutched the materia tighter and ran for her life.

Tearing through the tunnels, she could barely comprehend the planet's sudden return to her. It tried to soothe her, sending her calming images and feelings, trying to comfort her with its song. When it didn't work, it tried words but they were lost on her, so it had to settle for guiding her out of the labyrinth.

Flying from the temple's rear exit at a heart pounding pace, she became a blur in the forest. She didn't care how much noise she was making. Branches caught in her hair, slapped her in her face, and tore at her skin and clothes. None of it was enough to make her stop. It wasn't until she tripped and fell face first on the ground that she even considered the idea. Sore and trembling, she stayed on the ground until her breathing evened out a little bit.

With a groan she pushed herself to her knees and then to her feet to stand, albeit a bit unsteadily. Tiredly, she shuffled around before wandering off in no particular direction, stopping when she found a large fallen tree to sit on. Hopping up on the log, she tended to her wounds. Her elbows, palms and knees were all abraded and her face and arms were covered in small, stinging scratches. They were all sore but none of them were serious enough to require more than a thorough cleaning.

The glade she sat in had gone completely quiet and had she more experience with the outdoors, she would have understood the warning in that. Instead, she was happily re-bandaging the shoulder wound she'd taken the night before. It had started seeping again and she was afraid it might be infected. Just as she finished wrapping, she finally marked the unusual silence and the strange mechanical sounds that came just behind her.

Her head turned as if in slow motion, eyes widening almost comically in alarm. A hulking machine stood behind her, its gun-like arms jutting forward menacingly. Tseng had told her about machines like this, ShinRa had all sorts of them. Most were used to guard ShinRa tower, but some, like this one, was used in the field to locate and subdue whatever the company viewed as an enemy. Something inside the machine whirred to life, and its arms moved up and out. There was an abrupt click and then a high pitched whir before a light flicked on. When the light became a pinprick aimed straight at her head, she realized it wasn't a light at all but a guiding laser. Too stunned to do anything, she tensed, feeling the beginnings of mind numbing fear as it paralyzed her body.

Then something happened. It was so fast, she wasn't quite sure what.

One moment the machine was ready to fire at her and the next moment it was cut in half. On fire and sputtering smoke, she stared with pure, shocked amazement as the thing slid neatly apart. Coughing from the pungent smell of the electrical fire, she winced as she covered her mouth, eyes narrowed from the smoke as she tried to make out what had happened.

The smoke cleared, and through her teary vision she could make out a hazy figure. Stepping through the smoldering remains of the machine was Sephiroth, looking surprisingly unaffected by the destruction he'd just caused. He didn't even flinch when something within the machine exploded as he passed; he merely blinked, simply sheathing his sword as if such an occurrence was the most ordinary thing in the world. Stopping just in front of her, he breathed in deeply and gazed at her, cocking his head as if waiting for an explanation. Still slightly terrified and overcome by the smoke, she didn't say anything, mostly because she really couldn't.

After the longest ten minutes of her life, he finally became irritated enough to say something.

"Well?"

She answered by way of a violent coughing fit. After she gained some control over her own breathing, she gasped hoarsely, "Well, what?"

This earned her a severe glare, "Explain yourself."

Confused, she cleared her throat to speak, "Explain what?"

His lips thinned, and his brows furrowed barely concealing the dark glint of aggravation in his eyes, "Explain why you left."

"I owe you no explanation," which would have sounded more impressive had her voice not cracked and squeaked quite so much.

"Oh, but I think you do."

"I think I don't."

"Wrong. You and I, we had an agreement."

"What agreement? I don't recall..."

"Weren't you the one who asked me to follow you? And I hate to keep pressing a point, but I'm still waiting for an answer to my question. Besides, you've saved me...what is it now? Three times? I'm in your debt and as a man of honor I don't believe I could go on living without at least attempting to repay you in kind."

No particular word was emphasized and there wasn't really a tone to his voice that'd imply emotion, but she couldn't help but feel that he was mocking her. If she could read minds, she'd find that she was very right. He was mocking her in the most calculated, gentlemanly manner.

She drew in a breath before speaking without pause, "First, I only wanted you to follow to help you escape the ShinRa. Second, what question? Third, I wasn't counting how many times I saved you because I don't care. I didn't do it because I wanted to be repaid. I did it because it was the right thing to do, with the understanding that the minute this was all over we'd go our separate ways and as it IS over...now is the time for me to part from you and vice versa, never to see each other again."

Having finished, she pursed her lips, nodded her head and waited for him to leave. Because clearly, her little speech was his cue but being the stubborn, recalcitrant actor he was in the little play of her life, he didn't do what he was told at all. He stood there with a look on his face that advertised the fact that he wasn't planning on going anywhere and that her little display had sort of amused him in a tedious kind of way.

Cocking his head slightly, she shrugged his shoulders as if what she'd just said meant nothing, "Well, you should have said then. As it is, my honor isn't assuaged, nor my questions answered. And I don't particularly feel like parting ways just yet."

"Well I do."

"How wonderful for you," he countered dryly, motioning vaguely towards the perceived path ahead of them, "Shall we go?"

"_We're_ not going anywhere," she replied, with a stomp of her foot, "You're going one way. I'm going the other and that's all there is to it!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is so!"

"Suit yourself."

Thoroughly frustrated, she reined in her temper just enough to glower at him balefully before turning her back to leave. She didn't take more than two steps before stopping. He was following her. She knew he was without even looking. Even if she couldn't hear his footsteps behind her, or the rustling leaves as he brushed past, she knew because for the short amount of time she'd known him, she had come to fully appreciate the horror of his outstandingly intractable disposition.

At that precise moment she felt like being exceedingly childish, holding back the urge to spin around and scream at him to stop following her. And then perhaps punching him right in that pretty little face of his but her temper wasn't so great, and as always, it was easily overcome. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he made her mad enough to throw things. Nor was she going to give him inkling that he was the most odious person she'd ever met and that if she never, ever saw him again it really WOULD be too soon, no matter how trite that phrase might sound.

No, she wouldn't lose her temper because if she did, he'd win even more than he already had. Instead, she stopped and without turning to look at him, she spoke calmly, "I thought I made things clear. I go my way. You go yours. I can't imagine you have nothing better to do than follow me."

"You assume I follow you. Has it occurred to you that my destination might be the same as yours? After all, I never indicated where it was I wanted to go and I want to go this way."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"_Is it, _then," she stated, an eyebrow twitching in annoyance, "Well, I guess I'll just have to go another way."

And with that she abruptly turned and unsurprisingly he followed her. She glanced at him sharply, not at all amused by the sudden lightness in his eyes. They stood facing each other at a standoff like a pair of gunslingers waiting to see who'd fire the first shot. Their hands over the trigger, it was Aeris who flinched and fired first.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"What?" he questioned right back, "Don't I have the right to enjoy the scenery?" He paused, callously enjoying her internalized fury as she fumed but made no answer. Smiling disingenuously, he made the pretense of actually drinking in the splendor of the forest around him before asking, "It is a beautiful day, don't you think?"

"Stop following me."

"I'm not."

"You are so!"

Sephiroth smiled again this one being even less sincere than the first. It dared her to prove it, as if he thought she couldn't, and when he spoke again he did it slowly to emphasize his continued doubt of her mental faculties. Pointing out, oh-so-helpfully, "You didn't answer my question...again."

"It _IS_ a lovely day but that isn't the point. You're following me and I've made it clear that I want you to stop. And if I hear one more thing about your 'Honor', so help me I'll throw my boot at you. Honor has nothing to do with it. You're playing some kind of stupid mind game that I want no part of. I saved you, you saved me. Your debt is repaid; your 'Honor' is in tact. So leave me be and go your own way."

"Ah, but you see, I find myself in a bit of a conundrum, as my way is your way."

"Really?" she challenged, elongating the word in a vocal demonstration of her disbelief, "I see. What business do you have in Kalm then? Because that's where I'm headed."

He thought about this for several minutes before replying smoothly, "Now that I'm free of ShinRa, I find myself lacking purpose and I hoped to find it in Kalm, as it is the closest town to our current location. Even if I don't intend to stay there, I will have to supply myself and find something less ridiculous to wear. Therefore Kalm is the most logical destination, wouldn't you think?"

"There are plenty of towns closer than Kalm."

"But you see, Kalm is a _slightly_ bigger town with more shops and it's right on the main road. It hardly makes any sense for me to go elsewhere, all things considered."

"So, you're not going there because I am?"

"Of course not. As you said, I do have better things to do, you know."

"So, you're just following me because we're going in the same direction?"

"Of course."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't answered whatever crazy question it is you thought I haven't answered?"

"Not at all but seeing as we're traveling in the same direction, I don't see any reason why it'd trouble you so much if I did seek answers to my _questions_," he said, enunciating the last word in the sentence with deliberate clarity.

"How _convenient_ for you."

"Hm. I suppose it is. Shall we go?"

"Suit yourself," she said, simpering with obviously feigned sweetness that darkened almost immediately, "But get this straight. The minute...THE MINUTE we get to Kalm, this ends and we part ways, understood?"

He didn't say a word as he crossed his arms, looking down at her bemusedly like she was a clown entertaining just for him.

"I mean it! From here to there you can ask whatever stupid questions you want. I might even answer them, but when we get to Kalm I want your word you'll stop following me. Questions answered or not."

"You think I'd agree to something like that? Preposterous."

"Listen you..." she began, before he cut her off.

"All you have to do is answer one simple question, like you promised..."

"I don't answer to..."

"...What are you?"

"A human, just like you...just like everyone else."

"Liar, ShinRa wouldn't want you if that's all you were, "he stated, overtly amused at the anger in her voice, "What are you?"

"A person."

"What. Are. You?"

For several minutes this cycle repeated over and over and over again. He would ask, "What are you?" and she would answer as evasively as possible until finally her temper snapped and she screamed loudly, "NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

The forest went quiet again, but for the sound of the birds as they flew from their purchases in somewhat of a hurry. Aeris instinctively looked up to follow their progress into the sky, ignoring Sephiroth for the barest of seconds. When she turned her attention back to him again, she'd lost her audience. His inattention should have been a welcome thing but it only infuriated her more. For Sephiroth's part, he'd entirely forgotten their argument. His keen hearing was focused on the sounds of the forest, or lack thereof. It wasn't just the girl's shout that had quieted it. In fact, it had been that way through their entire argument. Cursing himself, he searched the trees for a sign and he soon found it.

He turned, widened eyes noticing the angry look on her face though that wasn't what troubled him at all. Her mouth was opening to berate him and it would have concerned him mere seconds ago, though now he couldn't care less. Diving towards her wordlessly as a shot rang out; he grabbed onto an arm and pulled her into a controlled fall. Once coming to a stop, he rolled off the dazed girl and stood forcefully, his sword unsheathed.

It was another machine, just like the one he'd destroyed earlier. Scarlet, head of Weapons Development at ShinRa, had called them SIM25-A-types...whatever that meant. He had remembered she'd explained it but he'd also remembered that he'd purposefully forgotten. He'd never liked listening to anyone from Weapons Research, for obvious reasons. They were prototype robotic soldiers field tested to replace real soldiers in situations deemed to dangerous for humans.

All high ranking soldiers had been required to view the very first field test. It hadn't gone all that well and his second in command, a man named Zack, had quipped that the machines were no better than customized vacuum cleaners that'd be better used sweeping the halls than anything else. From that point on, they'd been referred to as "Custom Sweepers", and had generally been thought to be entirely useless. Apparently, someone had taken them out of storage and had improved their battle readiness. This didn't make them anymore impressive or formidable, to Sephiroth's thinking anyway.

The thing had stood there, motionless, for as many seconds while it warmed up for its next attack. Sephiroth used the time the machine lost regrouping to his advantage. He sprung, flicking his sword out lightly to deflect the laser blasts the thing aimed at him. They bounced of his blade harmlessly, refracting off its surface to hit the trees and bushes surrounding them. Before it could modify its attack, he was upon it and his sword imbedded deeply in its machinery. With a swift motion, he tore the thing nearly in half as he had the other one, splitting the metal like it was butter. Just before it exploded, he jumped away from it, satisfied in the thing's utter destruction.

Standing next to the sputtering pile of metal and wires, his eyes narrowed in thought. He was sure he'd destroyed that first one before it had relayed their position. How had the thing targeted them so fast? It couldn't have just been the girl's screaming. Fully intent on solving this mystery, he stalked over towards the girl. She had just gotten herself off the ground. By the look on her face she was reluctantly grateful but still irritated at him. He didn't care. Spinning her around, he wrenched her bag off her shoulders and proceeded to dig through it without explanation. She objected but he ignored her, throwing out her personal items looking for something...anything to explain why those machines were following them.

"How come you didn't sense it?" he asked curtly, still digging through her things to her eternal frustration.

"What...the machine?" she queried in response, continuing distractedly when he nodded, "I can only sense living things..."and then she pointedly paused before she spoke again, "...with _souls_. And would you mind telling me why you're pawing through my stuff and when you might stop?"

Ignoring her feeble protests, he held up the PHS and demanded, "Who gave you this?"

Aeris was dumbfounded, and her thoughts derailed as she shook her head and asked dumbly, "What?"

"This device. Who gave it to you?"

"The man from the chocobo caravan, I didn't catch his..."

He interrupted her words with abrupt action, crushing the PHS in his hand. She thought to demand answers of her own but swept the urge away when she saw him picking through the device's remains. After a short search, he found what he was looking for and held it up to her, looking at her as if she should know what it was.

"What is it?"

"This," he replied, dropping it into her outstretched palm, "is a tracking device, implanted factory standard on all ShinRa equipment. It's been transmitting our location to ShinRa all this time and the lead we thought we had on them is no longer quite as large as you and I might like. We have little time."

He took a deep breath, before divesting himself of his flannel over-shirt. With graceful ease, he made a makeshift sling to hold the sword across his back. Meanwhile, Aeris just stood there, completely flustered by his cold and imperious manner while gaping at her scattered belongings. She couldn't muster the words she needed and her irritation was further inflamed by what he said next, as she hadn't register that he was actually trying to save her life.

"I suggest you take only what you can carry." He paused when she didn't move to do what he said immediately, "Well? Get a move on. I did mention we didn't have much time."

Aeris flushed, and begrudgingly began to assemble only what she'd need. The large pack she'd taken would be too cumbersome, so she emptied the knapsack she used to hold all her herbal remedies. She packed only what she needed, just as he said, with the exception of a few personal items she refused to part with. Her fast compliance to his demand surprised him. She wasn't in the mood to feel any triumph over that.

Frankly, she was still irritated with him and a little scared of the machines he'd defeated. And if she were to believe him, more of those things were on the way. Shivering at the thought, she nearly jumped out of her skin when his hand clamp around her wrist. He twirled her around into his arms, holding her tightly as he took to the sky without a sound. In truth, she was far too afraid to be irritated with him and instead hung on for dear life, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

The way they were traveling was bone jarring, skipping from tree branch to tree branch as they were. And holding her like he was it was harder to execute a smooth stride, much less his usual effortless landings. Add to this the fact that they had to move quickly and decisively, it made for a very bumpy ride...for Aeris anyway. To his credit, Sephiroth's pace had put them far ahead of the ShinRa, though she could hear the whine of distant helicopters as they covered the glade they'd just left.

After taking several peeks, Aeris soon felt bold enough to lift her head a bit to gaze out at the horizon as she held onto her companion a little tighter.

* * *

Special thanks to my beta reader, Ardwynna Morrigu. As well as my French beta, Rhyein. Thanks for all the help guys! For real! 


End file.
